RWBY Kuroinu: A Knights Tale
by Baelparagon
Summary: A single degree, the smallest change in trajectory can change the fate of more then imaginable. When Jaune finds himself facing death he is given a second chance by a goddess. A chance to save not only himself, but an entire world. Offered the chance to be a true hero, how could he say no? A Jaune/Kuroinu crossover fic, my first attempt ever at a crossover. Rated M For Kuroinu.
1. A chance meeting

**Hi there, this is Baelparagon coming to you with my first ever crossover fic, a RWBY/Kuroinu: Kedakaki Seijo wa Hakudaku ni Somaru story. I've always loved the RWBY series and have hated how the Kuroinu anime ends up, so this will be in essence an isekai esque redemption story of that nature. Now for those of you with a faint heart, know that this story will be a dark one. There will be violence gore, rape and depravities typical of hentai. If you decide to turn away now I won't blame you for doing so. For those of you who stay, well I hope I write a story worthy of your attention. If any of you decide to read this however and get angry just keep in mind, you were warned. Rated M for all of the above.** _ **italics**_ **= thoughts.**

A Moment in Time

Jaune knew he had never been the sharpest knife in the drawer, as any of his sisters would be willing to tell you. He was their adorkable brother, the boyish outcast of Ansel who would trip over his own two feet if he wasn't looking. And if he was he'd walk straight into a tree

Oh, it wasn't that he was stupid, far from it. Any of his teachers could tell you that the boy had a sharp mind. It was just that he had a hard time getting something moving the first try. From learning his basic letters to asking a girl out he tended to mess up quite horribly. But what he lacked in initial talent he more than made up for in persistence and retention. And when he put his mind to something he wouldn't be dissuaded. He might have struggled with something at first but once he leaned the basics the advanced courses came easily. Before he had submitted his falsified transcripts and application for Beacon he had been required as a part of it to take the hunter aptitude course, the standard intellectual test required of all applicants. He admitted he had been nervous at that time, feeling like this was where his ruse would become undone, his fraud exposed for all to see. He spent weeks studying for it doing everything he could to try and learn what he could about the Grimm, only to discover the test was more about theoretical coursework and analysis he was sure he was done for.

Which was why it was so surprising when his scores had come back listing him in the top 20th percentile. His basic knowledge might have been lacking, but the strategies he came up with to the hypothetical situations was quite well received. That test result was what pushed him to go through with his forgery, convincing him that if he could do so well in the initial testing, then maybe he could succeed at the rest of what being a hunter was about.

Which unfortunately is what lead him to overlooking the basic requirements to be a hunter or attend an academy initiation. Such as aura or a landing strategy.

It had only been a second before he'd been flung from the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest to know how in over his head he was. The wind seemed to roar past his head as he flipped through the air, his arms wind milling as he tried to get back some semblance of control. Managing to somehow balance himself in the air he did the best to look forward as the tree tops whipped underneath him, each one seeming to promise to be the one to impale him. Looking down proved to be a mistake though as his motion sickness made itself known, the vomit falling below him and lost behind him.

"Zero for two Vomit Boy. It's just not your week huh?" Jaune looked to the left, spotting the blonde busty brawler Yang Xialong floating next to him. She lowered the shades a moment to give him a wink before looking away and cocking her arms back.

"WAIT!" Jaune yelled out to late as the too off with a blast from her gauntlets, leaving him still falling to certain death. She looked back with a grin as she controlled her descent skipping from tree to tree.

"Well See you at the temple blondie, try not to die." With a final upwards blast she twisted through the air, disappearing beneath the green canopy. The resulting gunpowder and chemicals from the shots flew back into his face, blinding him and leaving him in a panic.

 _Just my luck, a hot girl initiates a conversation with you, and in turn she blinds you and leaves you to die. What the fuck else can go wrong?_

A second or two later the universe seemed to take pleasure in answering him as a faint whistling sound became apparent to him. He looked to his left to hear where the sound originated, only to freeze in horror as he saw a familiar red and gold javelin flying towards him center mass, seeming to move faster and faster by the second.

His mind called for him to twist away, to reach forward and try to grab the blade from the air but found that he couldn't. His body refused to answer his call. As the blade grew closer to him and time seemed to slow down his eyes closed instinctively, to protect him mentally from the pointed death rocketing towards him.

 _I guess my parents were right after all, I really wasn't cut for this. I just hope this doesn't hurt too much._ With his eyes shut Jaune braced himself for the moment when the blade would pierce through, snuffing him out like a candle in the rain.

* * *

Jaune waited for what seemed to be an eternity for the pain he feared, body tensed for that moment. As time passed his anticipation shifted to confusion, and after a moment he opened his eyes. What he saw went beyond anything he could have thought.

He saw himself, not a reflection or an image of himself, but his actual body. His eyes squeezed shut, the blade that had been seemingly launching towards him stopped a mere dozen feet from him. And he wasn't seeing him from next to him, but below him. He felt himself laying on the forest floor below, way to far away to be seeing himself and yet he could pick out his details clearer than anything he'd ever seen. He felt his head resting on something soft, yet strangely warm, though for the life of him he didn't know what. A million thoughts were racing through his head, that was until he felt a pair of impossibly soft hands settle themselves on his cheeks as his thoughts ground to a halt.

"It must be a bit disconcerting for you to be looking at yourself from such a view." A voice like music rang out as he felt thumbs stroke his cheek, his heartbeat beginning to thump as he began to look up behind him. "Such things are always confusing to try and register, even for those who live lives far longer than yours. Be not afraid."

Jaune looked away from the scene of his impending death to look towards the voice comforting him. At first, he saw little as the rays of the sun seemed to block his sight. However, his eyes adjusted and he found himself looking into a pair of impossibly green eyes framed in a beautiful face. The woman, for that was the only thing to call her had peach like skin and golden hair that seemed to flow over a pair of pointed ears and down her voluptuous form. On her head she wore a circlet of green leaves like a crown while what could generously be called a white dress clung to her form, barely held together by a black bejeweled strap. As for where his head was resting…

Jaune's cheeks went pink, then fire truck red as he yanked his head away. He tried rising to his feet only to stumble back and fall with a yelp. He began rising up, only to stop as he noticed the woman's shoulders shaking as she put a hand over her mouth, trying futilely to contain her laughter.

Jaune shot her a deadpan stare as he slumped back to the ground. "You know, I had enough girls laugh at me during my life. I never thought it would happen upon my death."

"I'm sorry… Really I am." The woman said unconvincingly as she got her breathing under control. "It's just been such a long time since I saw someone so flustered. It was cute."

"Yeah just winning in all sorts of ways today." Jaune said as he stood up brushing himself off. "Bet I'm just wowing you with my manly ways huh. This the part of this pre-death hallucination where I sweep you off your feet and make you mine."

It was a comment made in jest, but for reasons Jaune couldn't understand it made the smile on her face wither away to something he couldn't describe, eyes seeming focused on anywhere but him. Her eyes were faded out, seeming to be viewing something only she could see Looking down he saw her hands had fallen to the hem of her dress and was gripping them with a vice. At that moment she seemed to glow less, her expression filling him with a strange mixture of fear and sadness he didn't understand.

"Umm, I'm sorry but are you okay? Was there something wrong with what I said?"

The woman's eyes looked up at him, and the contrast between the gentle gaze he'd seen earlier and the downright vicious one she sent him. He immediately recoiled and looked away as she stood up, expecting her hand to come down on the top of his head. He flinched and was surprised when he felt it lift his chin up, blue eyes meeting green. Gone was the anger he had seen earlier, though her smile had not returned either.

"There is much wrong with what you said, more than I wished you to ever know. But what you said was meant in jest and without malice. I turned my anger on you, but only in your ignorance. The true blame lies with others so please forgive my outburst."

"Ok cool…Umm so I got to ask, because I feel like I should have by now but who are you exactly? Are you an angel, a celestial being what? Cause I'm trying to wrap my head around…well that and nothing here makes sense." Jaune stated pointing up towards himself towards the sky.

"I suppose that's a fair question to ask given the circumstances. Your guesses or closer than you think. Oh, this a bit awkward for me as well, I rarely need to introduce myself. Well may name is Celestine Lucullus and I'm…I am a goddess. And I need your help."

Silence followed that statement like a shark to chum. The two blondes stared at each other for a minute or two before Jaune responded.

"So, a goddess. Okay are you one of the two brothers…or I suppose you would be a sister? Did you create our world?"

"Well no, I know who your talking about but no I'm not them. I sense they abandoned you long ago. I'm not even from this world. The world I come from is a bit more primitive in terms of technology than yours, but are monsters aren't the same as those that plague yours. Ours are less physically dangerous, but more twisted and evil. For centuries I have taken physical form to rule the nation of Eostia to protect the innocent from their depravations. 7 city kingdoms each led by a princess knight, myself included stood together against the dark queen and her beasts. Though the lands suffered many battles we held her to a stalemate. Victory was within our grasps."

"Okay sounds like a lot of the video games I've played before. So, what went wrong?" Jaune, asked sensing the story was going to take a dark turn.

Celestine smiled bitterly, eyes looking down as her hands clenched to fists. "We were betrayed. A mercenary company called Kuroinu, or Black Dogs as its translated, led by a man named Vault was hired to defeat our ancient enemy. They succeeded, only to take her armies and turn them on us. One by one our cities fell, both to battle and treachery until even I was captured. Their soldiers and beasts defile us women and use us as they please, while our surviving men have either joined them or have been enslaved. They have founded an empire based on sex and murder and knowing Vault he won't stop until the rest of the world is in his hands. He believes he'll create a dynasty that will last through time immemorial. He doesn't realize he is only laying the seeds of our own destruction."

"…That is incredibly sickening. And stupid beyond belief. But wait, if he's captured all of you then how are you here now?" Jaune asked the most obvious question.

"Well I'm technically not, even as we speak my physical form is undergoing abuse far more shameful than anything I've ever suffered. To keep me in check they are using magics dark and unholy to bind me. But in doing so they have momentarily freed my spirit from my shell. So, I came to your darkened world to seek a warrior both brave in spirit and skill to lead us to victory." Celestine looked uncomfortable in that moment before looking up at him with hope in her eyes. "And that is what lead to our meeting here today. I need to send you to my world to save my people from this evil."

Once again silence followed her statement as Jaune looked at her in disbelief. A lone wind gusted between them, a dust ball inexplicably blowing between them despite the green forest they stood in.

"Yeah, I hate to point this out, but we're only meeting like this because I'm about to die. I'm not trained and I …I lied my way into Beacon. Are you sure you're not looking for someone else?"

Celestine laughed nervously, scratching the back of her neck while she did so. "Yeah you do bring up a good argument. When I first saw this world, I found it filled with many strong and brave warriors, many who I wished to implore for help. A chosen champion to marshal and lead my people. But their souls keep me from them. No matter how much I struggled I couldn't draw near to them."

"Their souls?" Jaune asked confusion in his voice. Celestine looked confused in return until realization hit her.

"Oh, I see now, you really have no idea what I'm talking about. From what I've learned in your world warriors are able to unlock their souls either through meditation, extreme stress or through the act of someone else. This amongst other things creates aura, a sort of energy that strengthens and protects you from harm. While it's not inexhaustible while its up it makes you stronger, faster and protects you from attack. Some can even harness it to another level to create a semblance, a manifestation that lets you harness a power unique to you. Aura is the only thing that gives you a chance against the Grimm. It also however keeps otherworldly visitors like myself from going near to you. I'm guessing since you never unlocked yours its what's allowing me to speak to you now."

"So in essence, I'm less of a chosen hero than the first idiot who happened to become available to you." The nervous laughter did little to raise his self-esteem. He sighed and straightened up from where he momentarily slumped over.

"Alright let's say I believe this is anything other than a hallucination of a dying man. And that's a big leap of faith." Jaune said, running a hand through her hair. "What is it you want me to do?"

"Nothing easy I can assure you. If you agree to help us I would send you from this world to my own, just on the border of Eostia. I would need you to enter my nation and free those who have been imprisoned by them. While I would like you to save as many as possible, there are some more important to freeing than others. I don't have time to tell you about them now, but when you see them you'll know who I speak of. I would unlock your aura and do what was in my limited power to help you, but at least at the beginning you'd be on your own. If you succeed you would save a lot of lives from a torturous existence, and perhaps I could even save yours once freed from my bonds, returning you to this moment with all the skills and experiences gained. Of course, this would inevitably involve battle with a lot of twisted men and beasts alike." Celestine looked down guiltily for a moment. "They're not the type to surrender or negotiate. You 'd…You would probably have to kill them all."

"Oh, well no big deal there then. Considering I'm such and expert at murder." Jaune snarked to cover his queasiness at the goddess's blanket admission. This was replaced by guilt upon seeing her cringe. "And what would you do if I said no?"

Celestine didn't look up, although her shoulders did rise up in tension. "If you refuse then I will return you to the moment before we met without memory of our meeting. But I couldn't afford to unlock your soul. I only have enough strength and time for one candidate. One warrior to try and save us. Assuming I meet another before I'm forced back to that hell. Perhaps you'd survive. Perhaps you won't."

"Let me get this straight. I either agree to fight your war for you, a war I'll probably die in against monsters both human and not, or you send me back to what's almost certainly my death now." Jaune said as his voce cracked, moisture gathering in his eyes. A hand came up to wipe them away before they had a chance to become tears. "How is that a choice? How is that fair?"

"It's not." Celestine whispered out looking up at him with tears running down her cheeks. "I know it's not fair. I know I'm asking you fight for a cause not your own and at the point of a spear. I didn't want to ask like this, to put a burden on the shoulders of one so young and pure. I've never wanted any of this to happen. But it has, and I'm out of options and out of time."

She walked over from where she was, Jaune in spite of himself found himself moving backwards until he felt his back bump into a tree. Before he could push away she slipped her arms around him her chest pushing into his breastplate as he felt her tears fall through the fabric of his hoodie around his neck.

"I am asking you to shoulder this burden. Not because of your power or because fate has supposedly chosen you, but because you are the only chance I have left to save my people. I was their goddess, their leader and I failed them. I failed them in every way I could and perhaps my hubris has earned me my fate. But they don't deserve to suffer for my weakness. They are innocent of my sins, so please." Blue eyes met green filled with such pain and desperation it made his heart bleed. Her next words were hoarse and cracking, coming from the soul of one who had suffered so much to get here.

"Please help me."

Seeing her in tears, feeling this brave goddess shaking in his arms Jaune felt a vortex of emotions swirling through him. Fear, anger, pity and so many others he couldn't name in that moment. But eventually as the emotions settled in him one became more dominant than any other. The same thing that had made him pursue his dreams, that led him to try and cheat his way and even launched him to his doom. To holding a weeping goddess in his arms that wouldn't let him give any other answer than the one he dreaded.

Determination.

Raising his gloved hands he wiped the tears from her cheek, confidence filling him where none should have been. A part of him was pleased to see her pain give way to hesitant hope "I'll do it. I'll go to your world and be your champion."

"You will? Truly?" Celestine asked, her voice wavering as her hands seemed to slip.

"I can't promise you I'll win. Hell, I can't promise you I'll survive the first day. But I swear I'll do everything in my ability to save you and your people. That's my word and an Arc never goes back on it once given."

Celestine hiccupped and gave a broken laugh before leaping into him, arms changing position from his torso to around his neck. Where her grip had been loose around him before it was now almost crushing in pressure. He felt her large bosom press into him, that fact only now becoming apparent as he returned the hug, his cheeks burning as he held her soft form. Any attraction he felt was stifled though when she whispered in his ear.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

After what seemed far to short a time she pulled away from him, Jaune regretting the feeling of her pressed against him. She rubbed what was left of the moisture from her tears before folding her hands in front, assuming the regal stance she held before.

"Now we cannot delay any more. Please noble warrior, please remove your glove and extend to me your hand. So I may grant you the first of two gifts."

Jaune stepped forward, removing the glove from his left hand and extending it forward. Celestine took it and in low tones began to whisper in a language he couldn't begin to fathom. Lights swirled from around her hand and flowed to his, and for a moment he felt the searing extent of her power. It burned through him like a fire, burning into every synapse before a cooling sensation replaced its heat.

Looking down he saw upon the back his hand a golden symbol had taken place. A lit candle surrounded by a circle with an eye above the flame. It seemed to give off a low glow, one which seemed to dim as her hands pulled away.

"Upon your hand you bear my mark, a sign of my faith in you. It will let my followers know you hold my blessing and my hope. It'll also guide you on your path, to those who need you most. To those who are your enemies, keep it hidden for they will seek to snuff out its light. And your life with it."

"Huh pretty cool." Jaune said as he slipped his glove back on. Whatever magic caused the glow on the back of his hand did not penetrate through the leather and metal of his glove.

"And now for the second gift, for this I must unlock your aura and set free your soul to make its long journey across worlds." Celestine stepped forward, placing her hands on his shoulders. Jaune felt himself starting to speak before finding the words fading away as she closed her eyes and began to chant. As she did a light began to glow from him, encompassing not only his hand but glowing from his entire form.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. To be remembered and held by those we cherish and love. Unbound by fear and with courage in your heart. I release your soul and by my hand protect thee."

With the final words the white light emanating from his body reached a crescendo before beginning to descend. As Jaune marveled at the energy flowing through him he looked down at his arms watching as white light crackled over his arms. He would have stared at it more if not for Celestines hands clasping over his drawing his face to hers that seemed much closer than before.

"I'm sure what your feeling must be quite amazing, and you now may choose to pass it to others. I insist you be careful in this however. Power given too freely or to those unworthy can bear with it terrible consequences." Jaune nodded his head as if in understand, though it was clear he did not quite understand by what she meant. Before he could ask her what she meant his vision began to dim, as the forest around him began to fade. He began to look around only to stop as Celestines hand guided his face back to hers.

"I'm afraid our time is done for now, we must part ways. The journey ahead of you will be hard and I fear you will suffer regardless of success. The darkness will offer you much, and you may be tempted as we all are to accept it. When that time comes I'll pray for you, for if you fall so will we all. I wish I could do more, but this all I have left to give you."

Jaune wanted to speak wanted to tell her she had done enough but couldn't. not for lack of trying, but because of the supple lips that covered him. They were soft and moist, and sweeter than strawberries. Jaune closed his eyes as his body reciprocated the kiss. Even as the he felt the world and himself fade away it was all he focused on. Finally as his mind began to drift away he felt them pull from him, a sigh on his lips and words that seemed to float on the wind.

"Until we meet again my knight, may the light always guide you through the shadows."

* * *

Jaune didn't know how long he drifted through the darkness. It might have been a minute, it might have been eternity. Either seemed like they could have been possible. But at some point he became aware of the feeling of grass beneath his back and the cool brisk wind wafting over his face. With more effort than he thought possible he opened his eyes.

What he saw went beyond his expectations. Gone was the Vale summer sky, its heat beating through the Emerald Forest Canopy. Instead his eyes were met but starlit skies and the smell of grass. Rising to a position he looked around to find himself on a large hill overlooking a great plain, covered in wheat and with trees dotting across it at irregular intervals. It seemed to stretch on beyond sight. Pinpricked with little lights separated by miles. It took a moment for him to realize those lights were villages.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his scroll looking to see if he could check his location, only to see no signal coming from it. _Right, Celestine said her world was more primitive. Although my scroll might not have been compatible even if it was._ Putting it back in his pocket he stood from where he was he looked around trying to figure out which way to go, only to realize he had no idea where to go.

As his confusion began to mount he felt a pulse from his hand. Lifting the edge of the glove up he held it up in front of him noticing the dim glow in front of his eyes. Turning to his left he noticed the light grow dimmer he turned to the right and noticed the light increase. He kept turning until he found the point at which it glowed brightest. He found himself looking past his hand he saw the closest of the villages to his location.

 _Do you want me to go this way?_ He asked inside his head before realizing he was asking his hand like an idiot.

As if the universe wanted to mock him a great flame seemed to burst from the edge of the village, slowly followed by a mixture of screams and roars. The smell of smoke and something coppery floated on the air, and he found his hand coming to clasp Crocea Mors around the handle.

"What was it I said to you Celestine, that I might not survive the first day? I didn't literally mean that."

He knew she wouldn't hear him, couldn't possibly. And yet he could have sworn he felt the symbol on his hand pulse for a moment. He drew his blade and deployed his shield from its sheath form. A moment of hesitation entered his heart before he gulped it down and tightened his grip.

Then with a single step he plunged into the darkness.

 **Well that concludes the first chapter of RWBY Kuroinu. I will try to update every week, but I promise to get it out at least every other Monday. Thank you for reading and see you next time.**


	2. Welcome to the new world

**Hey there fellow readers, here is the second chapter of RWBY Kuroinu. The time for set up is over, the adventure begins. Thank you for all the initial interest and comments, I'll try to keep the story interesting. Although if you are going to leave a review please be polite about it. Constructive criticism is always helpful, while just stating its going to be a trash Jaune Fic is a bitch move. Rated M for Kuroinu (aka obvious reasons). Italics= thoughts.**

Chapter 2: Welcome to the new world

The flames loomed larger as he found himself running towards the village, their red and orange hue contrasting with the darkness in the distance. The smell of burning timber flooded his nostrils stronger than any scent he had smelled, while the battle cries and screams only increased in pitch. Jaune had seen these types of openings in movies before, many of his favorite fantasy movies began this way. The once perfect existence of peaceful domains and good people shattered as the villains of the story made their entrance, killing and slaughtering as they pleased. It created tension, set drama and helped set the scene for the good guys to make themselves known. A perfect way to set up the courageous hero's entrance.

If Jaune ever got back to remnant he was never going to watch one of those movies again. As Jaune ran down the hill his legs pumping as fast as he could maintain he didn't feel courageous, didn't feel ready to take on the forces of evil. He could feel the blood pounding in his veins and his stomach churning as he sprinted through the fields of grain leading to the village. Although he didn't feel tired, wearing armor and running like he was had been stupid, a foolish decision made in the moment. His lungs would have been heaving, should have been if past incidents had been accurate. Nor did he ever remember being able to run as fast as he could now. And yet all he felt was a little winded, a benefit he'd chalk up to his new aura.

As he winded his way through the grain stalks his eyes glanced down to the sword in his hand. The blade seemed to bathe in the light of the fire almost seeming to glow in the darkness. The blade was a relic, had served his family for generations in war and in the hunting of the Grimm. Even though many would call it obsolete (or in Ruby's case a classic) Crocea Mors had proven itself over the centuries as perfectly created to battle. To kill

If only Jaune felt the same about himself.

Don't get him wrong, Jaune didn't consider himself a coward. He may not have looked like a person's idea of a champion but he had always stood by what he believed. He treated people with respect and didn't bully in school. And deep inside he felt that if it was a Grimm threatening him or his family he could stand against it. Ok, maybe not in terms of skill or ability but in regards to will. Given the chance he could kill a monster. He still told himself this even as he found his hand trembling over the handle.

But could he do the same to a human? Something with feelings and dreams like himself? If needed could he kill? His hand tightened around the blade in a shaking grip.

"NO PLEASE STOP. GET AWAY FROM ME!"

The voice screamed out from the shadows, female and terrified. Over the woman's pleading a chorus of male laughter broke out insidiously as it was accentuated by the sound of tearing cloth.

Most notable to Jaune though was just how young the girl sounded.

Jaune's legs were moving before his mind could register. Bursting out of the field he found himself on a dirt road eyes drawn to a horrifying scene. Four male soldiers clad in leathers and a red arm sash emblazoned with a black dog on it were holding down a pair of children, not possibly older than thirteen. Their weapons tossed aside three of them were pulling and ripping at the screaming girls' clothes while a fourth man was nearby holding down a young boy twisting his head to force him to watch. A quartet of horses stood tied to a signpost nearby, munching away at grass oblivious to the crime unfolding before them. The eyes of all turned towards him and towards the blade in his hand.

It was no longer shaking. "Let them go." Jaune said as he stalked forward, a pit of rage bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

"PISS OFF!" One of them yelled out, a hook-nosed little fat one who's hands was grasping at the girl's legs. His hair shined like black grease and what few teeth he had were yellow. His cheeks were fat and puffed out like a toad. "This is our whore, go find your own to fuck you gold haired faggot."

"Let them go **NOW** " Jaunes voice snarled out, the grip on his sword tightening. "You won't get another chance."

"I've heard enough of you. Oy Perry." Toady yelled out, causing the one holding down the boy's head to turn. "Shut that little wannabe knights' mouth and I'll let you have first taste of her."

"With pleasure." The man stood up from where he was standing, picking up his sword with him. The blade seemed recently used, chipped in places and covered in blood. He gave the young boy a kick in the stomach pushing the air out of the boy's lungs and making him curl up in the fetal position. Hearing his compatriots' cheers and shouts he lunged forward at Jaune swinging to lop off his head. Jaune hesitated for a second, yelping as he ducked under the blow to the jeers of the men. As Jaune rose from his ducked position he turned back towards the man yelping as another blow came towards him to fast to dodge. Jaune was barely able to raise his shield in time expecting to be knocked to the side. While the man was shorter than him by a foot his arms did have a bit of muscle to him, while Jaune more or less looked like a noodle.

Which is why they were both shocked when the blade and the man were the ones who bounced back from the blow instead. Jaune barely felt the impact through his shield. Snarling out a curse the man went in with a lunge hoping to plunge it through his stomach. Jaune's sword arm lashed out, the blow knocking his blade to the side and nearly out of the minion's grip. Stepping forward Jaune swung his sword in a sloppy overhead chop. The man known as Perry's eyes widened in panic as he raised his blade over his head to intercept. Though the blade was worn the mercenary had kept the castle forged blade in good condition. It had served him well ever since he'd been presented to him upon joining the Black Dogs. It was a good blade for a soldier.

But Crocea Mors was designed to kill monsters. Designed and refined over centuries from the strongest alloy money could buy. Made to slice through limbs torsos larger than a man and bone plating thick as armor. So instead of blocking the head on blow it carved through the metal and slammed into the man's shoulder, slicing through his collar and coming to stop in his chest. Jaune in shock found his eyes meeting his opponents' eyes, watching the rage and desperation bleed away into unbelieving pain and terror. The broken weapon slipped from his fingers as they shakily grasped Jaune's shoulder while his mouth opened to speak.

Whatever words he was going to speak were drowned out in the pool of blood that burst from his lips, splattering the front of Jaune's breastplate. With that final action what life remained in the mercenary Perry seemed to bleed out from his eyes, his body beginning to crumble under the weight of death. Some part of Jaune knew he should have felt horror at what happened, should have felt sick to his stomach at having so unintentionally taken a life. But in the moment, he felt nothing, no horror, no satisfaction just a strange sense of acceptance in knowing that it was his life or Perry's. It was discomforting, unpleasant even but not paralyzing like he thought it would be.

He withdrew the blade from the falling torso with far greater ease than he felt was right. His eyes left his dead opponent and looked towards his live ones. They were no longer laughing and cheering, no longer tearing at the prone girls' clothing with wanton lust. No longer dismissing him.

Instead they were lunging for their weapons.

Jaune didn't hesitate this time bursting forward. He reached the first one just as his hand was closing around the handle. Jaunes left foot came crashing down on the blade while Crocea sung through the air, before tearing an ugly hole in the man's throat. He fell back gurgling blood leaving a red mist in the air. Toady came next yelling out a curse as he ran towards him. No time to slash or block him with his shield Jaune kicked out at him landing a solid blow on the man's torso. Expecting it only to push him back, Jaune got the visual pleasure of watching the little bastard fly off his feet as he marveled in the power of aura. Toady landed in a ditch, blade lost in-flight as he hacked and held at his ribs. The blow or the fall might have broken some of the man's ribs as he yelled out in pain.

"LOOK OUT SER!" the voice of one of the children yelled out. Jaune threw himself forward and rolled with his shoulder coming to a crouching stance as the third man made himself known, swinging a long-handled war axe with abandon. His hair seemed red in the glow of the distant flames as his face competed to match in his rage. Cursing himself Jaune rose up and raised his shield taking a blow aimed to bisect him. Unlike before the blow caused his arm to shake a bit from the impact, the heavier weapon hitting harder. The man yelled out intelligibly as he raised the axe bringing it down onto Jaunes shield again. Jaune felt himself being pushed back as the man lashed out again and again, metal chips scraping and flying through the air. Not wanting to take such a blow head on Jaune gave space waiting for an opportunity.

It was only a second, a moment of telegraphed windup but Jaune saw his chance. Lifting the axe over his head the man roared and leapt forward intending to cleave the knight in two. Now Jaune wasn't much of a fighter. But if action movies had taught him anything, it was always stupid to sacrifice your footing for a killing blow. Jaune side stepped the obvious attack and bashed his shield into his knees. His opponent went crash. A cracking sound was heard as the man yelped in pain and almost cartwheeled to the ground face first. Blood pouring out his nose the warrior attempted to push himself up.

Crocea Mors made a strange shunking sound as it stabbed into his back and through to the chest. The man looked down at it dumbly, his arms still attempting to push himself up. For a moment Jaune idly wondered if he would succeed before the man gave out a last groan and fell forward, the momentum dislodging himself from the sword. Jaune still stared at the man who had moments ago seemed so intent on killing him. He knew there was something else he should be focusing on…

DIE YOU FUCKING CUNT! "A voice yelled out as Jaune felt something break and smash over the back of his head. The blow made him stumble forward, his ears ringing as chunks of wood fell over his ears. Despite that it seemed his aura once again saved his ass, giving him little more than a slight throbbing from where his skull should have been fractured. _Right, forgot about Toady._

Toady hadn't clearly forgotten about him. The man had snuck up behind him while he was distracted and had smashed him over the head with an improvised club, otherwise known as a previously unbroken sign post. Why that of all things Jaune couldn't really figure out. Maybe he had lost his sword?

Whatever the reason Toady was cheering out of both victory and survival. That needed to stop. Jaune standing up and dusting himself off as if nothing was wrong seemed to do the trick. H turned towards Toady weapons still in hand.

"N-No tha-that's not possible. That blow should have smashed your skull." Toady said in disbelief so profound he couldn't move. Jaune simply shrugged before lashing out with his shield knocking him on his ass. He began crawling backwards only for Jaune to drop his shield and grab him by his greasy hair

"WAIT ME LORD PLEASE! Don't kill me." Toady begged as Jaune looked down at him with disdain.

"Give me one good reason why I should spare your life?" Jaune asked, his grip not loosening an inch.

"Y-You're a knight, right? Raised in honor and trained in the chivalric code? Ain't you lot supposed to show mercy to an enemy who surrenders? Let them go and learn from their mistakes"

"The girl you were going to rape and the boy that's with her. Were you going to show them mercy?" Jaune motioned over to the children, the two standing up and walking over. From the way the boy limped and the state of the girls clothes the answer was obvious. By chance Jaune saw the boy had picked up Toady's misplaced sword and was using it to help move.

Toady also knew the answer was obvious so he tried a different tactic. "W-Wait I can give you gold, between the four of us we got quite a lot. I-I'd split it with you down the middle. Maybe you could even join us, King Vault's always looking for powerful fighters."

"I'd sooner let you have that girl than ever deign to join you or that bastard. And from where I'm standing I already have your gold. I don't need you alive for that." Jaune said raising his voice in an attempt to sound more threatening, hoping Toady wouldn't notice how nervous he really was. He thought of every fantasy book he ever read, every story his grandfather told of brave knights and warriors. How they had talked and faced down villains over the years. So far it seemed to be working, though he only had the children and Toady's reactions to go off. So that didn't say much.

"What I need is information. I want to know why you're here, how many of there are you?" Jaune said letting go of the mains hair, grimacing at the literal grim now coating his glove.

"I can't tell you that, you don't know what they'd do to me if they found out I snitched." Toady said, panic rising in his voice. Jaune in return said nothing, instead adorning a frown on his face and pointing his sword to the men currently bleeding out on the ground. The implied threat was really quite simple.

Either start talking or start bleeding.

"R-Right you make an excellent point. W-Were on a raiding mission, pretty standard for the most part. Orders came down from on high for us to leave Carnstein, that's the outpost we're from, to hit the villages just outside the border of our empire. Over a hundred men on this one. A few dozen imps as well"

"Why are there so many of you? That many seems a bit excessive for a simple raid."

"Don't quite know, usually we only hit caravans or the farmlands. Only need a few dozen for that. But orders are orders, and they told us told us to hit the villages. As many as we can. This village is just the first one tonight. We move in and take anything of value. Food, gold, w-women." Toady croaked out as he eyed Jaunes blade seemed to inch in closer at the mention of the last one. "We wait until night when most are asleep to attack. Leaves the walls virtually unguarded. Then we leave before the local forces can attack. M-My boys and I were on escapee duty, we were supposed to make sure no one was able to get away and warn Jacinda."

"Jacinda? Who is that?" Jaune asked, unfamiliar with the strange sounding name.

"It's not a who, it's a town. Largest town in this region. Few miles down the road. This is the northern part of the nation of Dallia. Emperor Galterius has his local garrison posted there. A few hundred trained soldiers to watch the border. We were supposed to hit this town first as it's the closest to them, then move to the next. By them time their patrols noticed something was wrong we'd be well away. There were only a few dozen guards in this village, most volunteer militia. They're not like us, they haven't fought battles or defended themselves from more than a few bandits. They won't last long. Is that good enough for you?"

"Almost." Jaune said not dropping his persona. "Who is leading you scum? What's his name?"

"Oh, that would be Throgg."

"Throgg?" Jaunes eyes narrowed sword raising once again at the ridiculous.

"I swear I aint lying! Throggs real." Toady's hands raised up as if to shield himself. "Big orc from the Black Fortress. He showed up a few days ago with the orders. He's a stupid but nasty brute. I watched him crush a man's head in for bumping into him. If you go up against him, he'll gut you like a trout." A nasty grin appeared on his face at the thought of that, yellow teeth exposed as his greasy lips pulled back.

"An orc, of course. Maybe your right. I've never fought an orc, hell before today I never fought a man. Maybe he will kill me, or maybe he won't. But that's not your concern anymore."

"Wh-What do you mean. I've told you everything you wanted to know. Y-You said you'd let me go."

"When exactly did I say that?" Jaune asked, confusion feigned in his voice. "I let you go, the first thing you'll do is run back and warn them I'm coming."

"I WONT! I'LL FLEE SOUTH, TURN OVER A NEW LEAF! I'll join the priesthood, do whatever it takes to redeem myself. I swear to all the gods old and new that if you let me go you'll never see me again." the man said knee walking up to him, one hand clasped over his heart while the other hung down at his side.

Jaune felt conflicted. His mind told him what was logical, that nearly every movie and story where the hero showed mercy usually resulted in treachery. That Toady was slime and could not be trusted. On the other hand, his heart was telling him to let him go. Killing those other men was one thing, they had done their best to take his life in turn. A man was justified to defend his own life, even to the extreme. And he had given him a chance. But if he killed him now, as defenseless as he was it would hardly be justified. It would make him a murderer.

He didn't know what to do.

Others didn't have that problem. Out of the corner of his eye Jaune saw the boy lunge forward, no longer relying on the blade to walk. He intended it for its actual purpose. Inside his heart yelled out, begging him to stop the boy from dropping to their level. To stop him from being a killer. His hand began reaching out to grab the boy, to block the blade to do something.

It was too late. Before he could stop him, before his mind had registered what his eyes were seeing the boy had buried the blade into the mercenary's neck. It stuck through both sides, the tip off the blade gleaming for all the blood that was washing down it. Toady croaked once, eyes filled with as much shock as horror they turned towards the boy.

"Think you can get away with what you did to my family, what you tried to do to my sister? You offered him the first taste? Why don't you have a taste of that you Black Dog piece of **shit**." The boy snarled at him with more venom than Jaune had ever heard. Toady didn't respond, couldn't considering the two and a half piece of steel in him. Instead his eye losing focus he slumped forward to the ground, dead as a doornail.

Jaune was in shock, eyes in shock as he looked at the freshly minted murderer four years his junior. There was no persona to call on, no fake confidence to help him. "Why would you do that? He had surrendered, we could have let him go."

"Oh yeah? You think he surrendered? Why don't you go ahead and check his boot? Show me what you find there." The boy said snidely, limping back to his sister as whatever adrenaline drove him gave way to his bruised ribs. With trepidation Jaune dropped to his knees and reached in as instructed, doing his best to avoid the blood or the touch of the still warm corpse.

When he pulled his hand away it did not come back empty. A small dagger, barely six inches long lay in his hand, mere inches from where Toady's hand had been hanging.

"First thing you should know, Kuroinu's soldiers don't surrender. And they don't show gratitude or mercy. The moment you turned away he was going to slit your throat. Probably ours as well. Though considering how hard he smashed your head, whatever stopped that from reducing your skull to paste probably would have protected you." The boy walked up to the kneeling knight, taking the dagger from him. Reaching behind him he passed it off to his sister, who took it gingerly in her hands.

"I'll keep that in mind. Are you both alright?" Jaune asked rising to his feet.

"As well as can be expected, thanks to you. I have to ask though." The boy's eyes seemed to drop for a moment before looking up at him with something akin to hope. "Are you really going to fight them? Are you going to help us?

"Yes. I'm going to help you." Jaune said to try and reassure the two.

This backfired in a way he wasn't expecting. The boy's eyes lit up, a determined expression on his face. "Then I'm going with you."

"Jacob no!" the boys sister started tugging on his arm. "We just escaped from there, you can't go back. We need to go before more show up"

Jaune found himself in agreement with her "Your sisters right. You can't go with me. It's too dangerous."

"Oh, it's too dangerous for me but not you? You're going to kill them all by yourself?" The boy raged, nostrils flaring as his face turned red. "That village is my home, I won't let those Kuroinu bastards take it from me."

"You're a child without armor, weapons or proper training. And I can't fight them and protect you at the same time." The hypocritical irony of that statement was not lost on Jaune. "If you go there you'll be committing suicide."

"I DON'T CARE!" Jacob screamed back, momentarily forgetting his injuries in his rage. "My father is still there, still fighting to protect our home. How can you ask me to run away from him and do nothing?"

Jaune didn't have an answer for that. He could understand where the boy was coming from, hell if the situation was reversed he would probably act the same. But taking the boy with was out of the question. His eyes searched around for anything, anything that would give him an idea, a way to persuade them.

When they landed on the still tied up horses the answer became clear. "I didn't say do nothing. Can either of you ride a horse?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" the boy asked, confusion mixing in with the anger.

What little patience Jaune had left snapped. "Damn it kid, can you ride a fucking horse or not?!" Eyes wide the boy nodded his head, his sister doing the same.

"Then here's what we are going to do. I will go forth to protect your village. SHUT UP!" Jaune yelled out before the kid could interrupt him. "You two take a horse and ride as fast as you can to Jacinda and tell them what's happening. Convince them to send the garrison and **maybe** we'll all see tomorrow."

The girl to her credit didn't hesitate sprinting over to where the horses were tied, wrestling with the bindings. Clearly she was the smart one as the boy continued to object. "But…but I can't leave my father behind, he needs me."

"Your sister needs you more. You don't know who else might be out there waiting for you. Tell me, if your father was here right now who would he be telling you to protect, him or her?"

The boy didn't respond, didn't have time to as his sister pulled up on one of the horses next to them. Reaching forward Jaune grabbed the boy and yanked him up into the saddle. The horse snorted and fidgeted but thankfully did not buck or kick him. Once the boy was settled Jaune slapped the horse on the rear, the horse neighing and taking off in the distance. The two occupants bounced and swayed but managed to hold on. The last thing Jaune before the two were swallowed by darkness was the boy's eyes on him.

There was no time for rest. Jaune picked up his shield, stepped past the corpses and blood let his doubts fall away and resumed running towards the pyre of the nameless village.

* * *

It must have been longer in reality, but in his mind it only took a few minutes to run down the road. As he ran by he kept his eyes purposefully on the road, ignoring the bodies he came across. A few were Black Dogs. Most of them weren't. It seemed Jacob and his sister weren't the first ones Toady and his group had come across. _To think I nearly let that monster walk away._ Jaune shook away his self-doubt in the moment and focused on the task at hand.

Coming to the natural opening leading to the village Jaune ducked off into the wheat fields to do a quick observation. As an avid player of video games Jaune knew the risks of running in two quick and getting swarmed. And he didn't know how much aura he had lost. He didn't think it was much, but shouldn't risk it foolishly considering his complete lack of knowledge on the subject. He would need to take a look before deciding his course of action.

The battle in the village was still going on, though to what extent he couldn't say. The walls still had a few people on them, shooting arrows or tossing whatever they could from it to hamper the black dogs. The opposing forces wore grey plating trimmed with blue colors. A number of smaller forms were running around the Kuroinu soldiers, skin red like blood, heads as smooth as marble and diminutive in comparison to their human counterpart. If he was to compare them to humans they couldn't have been larger than children. Those must be the imps Toady had mentioned. No sign of the orc leader, but there were so many shadows from the fire it could be hard to see him. Or he could already be inside the walls.

Whatever had caused the fire had taken its toll. The wooden planks weren't built to withstand flames and the blades of a surprise assault and had broken in multiple spots. The main gate was still holding, but from here Jaune could see the enemy was hacking and slashing it with anything at hand. Worse yet it seemed to be the man target of the fire, it burning brightest in the knight It wouldn't last long. A few parts of the wall had been breached but the defenders were fighting viciously to hold them. Most of those however were in front of the main force, inaccessible to Jaune.

Only one breach showed any promise, a small opening further off to the side being held by a few soldiers with spears and torches. No one was on top of it in that spot as the flames continued burning in that section. Most of the human mercenaries weren't heading for it, the spot was to small to be effective and against spears it would be a death trap. A few were standing near the back trying to fire crossbows into the few defending the opening. The smaller beasts were charging in fully, heedless of their losses _._ One of them leapt off the shoulder of his fellow, only to be impaled in the air through the stomach. _Perhaps they were to stupid to care about death._ Jaune thought as he watched the beast spasm and thrash on the spear.

A moment later Jaune changed his evaluation as the dying beasts grabbed on to the spear in its gullet and pulled on it, dragging the soldier from the relative safety of the opening. The surviving imps screamed in delight as they slashed and stabbed down at him, blood and flesh being torn apart as the man screamed in agony. Jaune grimaced as the soldier's head was pulled from the mob, held aloft like a trophy.

 _Or they're so sadistic that even their own deaths don't concern them. Great. Well that's the only way I'm getting in._

Sneaking along the edge of the field he got as close as he could without being seen. After a moment of deliberation, he collapsed the shield and reattached it to his belt, keeping the sword in hand. While he felt a bit exposed without it he would be able to move faster without it. He knew he needed to clear the distance quickly to the wall. To long and he risked getting caught out out in the open. If that happened Jaunes life expectancy would be significantly shortened

Taking a deep breath, he ran out from his hiding making a beeline for the archers. The jingling of his army drew their attention away from the flames towards him, though the further raiding party heard nothing. The first once just managed to turn his head as Jaune ran by cutting him down. Not stopping to finish the screaming man he attempted to get to the other two before they could fire on him.

It didn't work. As he cleared the distance the two had nocked their bolts and lifted them to shoulder, firing them with the ease that came from experience. At their range it was hard to miss. The first bolt plinked against his breastplate, the steel forced plate bouncing it back like nothing. Jaune barely noticed that his aura didn't rise to defend him from that one, his soul seeming to know his armor would protect him. The second went straight into his temple, a one in a thousand shot. Had Jaune been an aura less man it would have dropped him dead right there.

But it didn't and despite the blow to his aura and his head he powered through. The closest man cursed and dropped his now useless weapon grabbing for a dagger at his belt. He was good, he got about halfway through drawing it before Jaune shoulder smashed into him, knocking him over and with a quick thrust snuffing the man out.

The third man had seemed to have lost his courage at that point, dropping his weapons and booking it out of there. Jaune cursed but didn't pursue instead continuing to run towards the wall. He was confident he could have chased him down, but not without risking being seen. Besides he had bigger problems to deal with at the moment. The few dozen or so imps had heard him and were running down the hill straight for him.

They were ungainly beasts, short and ugly as sin. An oversized head sat atop thin necks, red eyes gleaming with a mouth full of spiked teeth. Their arms were long and gangly and their legs were barely half as long but pumping like pistons as they ran at him. The little maniacs were half screeching/half giggling as they waved their crude weapons in the air. They were a mixture of crude makeshift clubs and scavenged blades, most of them chipped or rusting to some degree. Despite the difference in their arsenal the little demons screeched and brayed for his blood, sending a shiver down his spine.

It was either that, or the fact that the little bastards were bare ass naked, little cocks swinging as wildly as their weapons.

They might have seemed fearless but they weren't invincible, they could die as easily as any man. Easier in fact as Jaune's first swing not only decapitated the lead imps head but carved into the next one as well. A third leapt forward from the hill screaming at him, a rusty dagger slamming down towards his head. Jaune threw an unsteady haymaker into it with his unarmed hand, the force of the blow snapping the beast's scrawny neck. Another fell back as he slashed forward cutting a wide gash into the beast's chest.

Seeing their comrades dispatched they stopped attempting to gang rush him and instead seemed to flow around him, attempting to surround and pull him. Jaune cut another down but was finding himself increasingly pressed. For every one he killed two more were kicking and biting to take their place. There weapons were crap but they didn't need to be good, as more and more he would feel a blade or club clip or graze his lower half. One managed to drag its farmer scythe down his leg before a backhand swipe removed its arm but Jaune felt the blow lower his aura. The amount might have felt insignificant on it own, but like ants they were going to wear him down. More than once he had to lash out in a wide arc to back them off but they were getting bolder, pushing in further as they sensed his desperation.

Worse than that though they were slowing him down. From the corner of his eye he saw a small portion of the raid stop pushing towards the gate, instead choosing to head for him. He couldn't afford to be stuck here any longer. Performing one last arcing slash he reached down to his sheath, gripping it tightly.

He didn't deploy it, didn't hold it to defend himself. Instead he swung it wildly smashing in a surprise imp in the head as he burst forward. He smashed into the front ranks of the little horde, knocking down kicking and lacerating anything in his path. His arms were more wind milling than swinging, doing as much to attack his enemies as to keep him from losing his balance. The little creatures tried to stop him, swinging their weapons and grabbing anywhere they could. The closer he got to the edge the more desperate they were to stop him. For the briefest of moments, Jaune felt his momentum stop as half a dozen little hands grasped at his clothing fanatically trying to pull him back to the center.

With a yell Jaune broke free, the hands falling away as he burst forward. The imps shrieked and gave chase but Jaune's legs were both longer and stronger allowing him to clear the hill. He ran for the opening hoping those he wanted to save wouldn't try to spear him as he entered the small hole.

To his thanks and their credit they didn't, one going so far as to spear an imp that unbeknownst to him had managed to hang on to his belt. Even with aura Jaune found his lungs burning, bent over as his limbs felt like they were on fire from the desperate melee and run. Between heavy breaths he looked out the hole, only for his breath to catch as he saw the first little bald heads cresting the hill, illegible voices screaming. Worse the men were getting closer having finally noticed the smaller breach.

"We… we need to seal it off. Black Dogs are coming." Jaune wheezed, rising from his standing position.

"WITH WHAT?!" one of the guards yelled out as he noticed the contingent heading towards them. "Anyone with an axe or mallet is fighting at the gate."

Jaune stared at him for a second, eyes wide as he took in this statement. Then he lost it, howling in frustration and running forward blade gleaming in hand. The guard stumbled away in fear but needn't have bother. The wall would suffer Arc's wrath in his place. Angry and desperate Jaune found himself swinging his sword two handed like a mad man, sheathe dropped to the side. Curses and grunts falling from his lips as he ineffectively swung at the lumber holding up the wall, wood chips mixing with the sweat in his hair knowing his efforts were futile. That at any second the enemy would be on them and they'd all be dead. Already he could see the Imps making their way in, cackling with joy as they were crossing under the fortification. With one final yell he swung down

 **Snap.** Jaune stopped swinging as he felt his last blow cleave through where he'd been chopping, by pure coincidence the main beam holding up this section of the wall. Already having suffered from the flames licking at it the wood gave way splintering and falling down in front of a stupefied Jaune. The imps were as equally shocked eyes wide and screaming as that portion came down on top of them. They tried to flee, but panic made them sloppy and most found themselves buried. Those who weren't crushed found themselves screaming as the flames that had been high up were now spreading through the broken planks, flames licking at those trapped within. The breach was sealed, however stupidly it had happened.

That was enough to break Jaune from his stupor. Not wanting to hear the almost childlike screams, or the quickly growing smell of cooking meat he turned away from the horror show and back to the men. The men were staring at him, seemingly oblivious to the battle going on around them. Jaune simply reached down and picked up his sheathe deploying it to his shield form to the shock of those near him. Unable to trust himself to speak in the moment he instead started heading towards the gate, thankful when he heard the soldiers following behind.

Jaune found himself running from one nightmare straight into another. The gate was still holding, what little crates and barrels the village had propped against it but a few dozen of the Black Dogs had fought their past the breaches, engaging the waiting defenders inside. The militia inside were fresh and had the defensive advantage, but the Black Dogs were almost fanatical in their assault. Yelling and screaming they pushed the militia back, away from the gate and back towards the hut. What few defenders were on the wall had come down to help but that meant their enemies outside were free to press the advantage. The gate shook as more and more blows hammered away. It wouldn't last ten minutes.

"MOVE TO THE GATE!" Jaune screamed rushing forward to the fray. The others were coming up behind him but he was well ahead of them. His first target was hammering away at the round shield of some poor militia man who lost his blade doing his best to hide behind it, mace splintering the wood with every swing. Jaune sliced him on the back as he was in mid swing never having seen the blow coming. Next, he targeted a spear wielder sneaking up a dueling pair further towards the gate. Jaune managed to block the spear thrust in time, diverting it from the mans back. A few blows and Jaune moved in slicing him down. Then he cut down the Dog dueling the man. Another man came screaming from the melee having just sliced down his opponent, great sword swinging wildly. Jaune ducked the man's blade swing and slammed his shield into the unarmored stomach, raising his arm in such a way to let the mans own momentum carry him over himself to the ground. Trusting those behind him to finish them he kept pressing forward.

Jaune had learned his lesson well from the recent encounters, enough to know his advantages. Compared to those he fought he had far better weapons and armor to let him press the attack, and aura to protect him when he slipped up. His opponents were physically weaker and slower than him due to the aura. And what little armor they had was worthless, giving him the advantage in durability.

But he also knew his weakness too, and that weakness was he was a shit swordsman. He might be able to overpower his opponents in small numbers but he would take hits in doing so. And if his aura vanished on him most of his advantages would be gone. He couldn't keep fighting one and hope to last long.

So he didn't. Instead he ran from fight to fight doing everything he could to kill, hamstring and otherwise inconvenience those he came across. Some fell immediately, either not seeing him or reacting to late to stop him. Those who did quickly found themselves outnumbered and overwhelmed. And for every mercenary that fell it freed up another militia man, let them push the Black Dogs back further.

When he had gotten to the courtyard the number of fighters inside had been about even. Now they had the advantage.

'Push them back lads. Let us send these Kuroinu bastards back to hell!" a gruff voice called out from the melee. Jaune didn't see where it came from but that didn't matter. Their morale raised the militia men surged forward fighting harder than ever. The surviving mercenaries fought with everything they had but they were falling quickly. More than once Jaune went to fight someone only to stop half way as they were taken out. They suffered casualties too, but those were miniscule in comparison. Those few Black Dogs who were stilling attempting to get through the breaches took one look at the rout and decided to duck back over to the main gate. Meanwhile those freed from the fighting swarmed to the gate, poking spears and swords through the gaps to ward off the assault, while a few reclimbed the walls to begin firing down arrows again. From the screams and blood that came back with their weapons

With a gurgled cry the last mercenary was killed, a spear throw knocking the man from his feet. He didn't get back up. From the walls a man turned around and announced that the black dogs seemed to be pulling back. The ragged defenders gave out a small cheer, one half in elation and half in relief. It took a moment for Jaune to realize his voice had joined them, cracking in parts as his body sagged. Out of a force of what most have been forty men only around two dozen remained. But they'd managed to kill around the same in terms of mercenaries, not including however many had fallen at the gates or just fighting their way in.

"SHUT YOUR GOBS!" that gruff voice Jaune had heard earlier call out, silencing the cheers at once. All eyes currently not stabbing turned towards the speaker. He was a rough looking man of medium build, skin tanned a light brown Jaune had often seen on the farmers in Ansel. His hair was brown like mud and his eyes were the same color. A small scar started near his ear and draped down towards his chin, seeming to be almost parallel with a fresh cut on his other cheek. He wore the same gear as the rest of the militia, though the way he spoke and how quickly they responded showed Jaune who was in charge.

"You idiots think we've won? That those mad dogs our going to cut tail and run? They're just licking their wounds lads. They'll be back soon enough and more pissed off than ever. Now if you don't want them to fuck your wives and daughters over your corpses get those breaches sealed and fires put out. And somebody check the bodies, see if any of our boys are still breathing. We've only got minutes before the next wave."

Whatever Jaune could say about their fighting ability he couldn't doubt their obedience. They hopped to the task given like a well-oiled machine. Those who had axes or heavy weapons went to chop down and guard the openings, while others formed a chain passing buckets and even helmets full of water as they fought to put down a different foe. Two of the men were going from body to body checking for signs of life. When it was found in a militiaman they grabbed him and dragged him off to the side, giving him what aid they could in so short of time. When it was a mercenary all he received was a dagger in the heart.

Realizing he was just standing around like a fool Jaune sheathed his weapon and stepped forward to help, only to be halted by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find himself staring at the commander, a serious expression on the man's face.

"I suppose you're the one I have to thank for pulling our bacon out of the fire. One of my men said you helped seal a breach." The man stated to him, removing his hand and crossing his arms over his breastplate.

"Uh…yeah that was me. I umm did those things." Jaune said, his already sensitive nerves feeling shot as the man looked at him suspiciously.

"We'll thank you. I'm chieftain Karloff, leader of this little hellhole. Now that I've shown you my hospitality, you mind telling me who the fuck you are and why your here? I know all the knights there are to know in this region, and all the ones who would run head first into a death trap. And you're not one of them."

Jaune found himself sweating and it wasn't from the fire. "Oh well my names Jaune, Jaune Arc. Short, sweet the ladies lo- on second never mind." Jaune stopped as he wilted under the man's glare. "Your right, I'm not from around here. I was traveling the road when I saw the fire. On my way I ran into a group of Black Dogs assaulting a girl and a boy named Jacob. I helped them- "

Jaune didn't finish as the man leapt forward, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Are they alright? Did those bastards hurt my boy or touch my girl Elaine?"

Realization ran through him as the man ranted and shook him. "You're their father?"

"ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION! ARE THEY ALIVE?!" the mans voiced reached a higher pitch than before.

"YES, I SAVED THEM DAMN IT! THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY TO JACINDA!" Jaune yelled as his head rocked back and forth. He could have broken free from the man, but he didn't. Considering the way the other soldiers were looking at them the last thing he wanted was for them to think he was assaulting their leader.

'Jacinda? You sent them to Jacinda?" The man asked having stopped shaking the gangly teenager. Jaune nodded giving the man a quick rundown of the events before he got here. Once he was done the stern mask on the mans face broke into a huge smile. He let go of Jaune's collar only to pull the teen knight into a bear hug.

"Praise the gods that's the best damn news you could have told me. HEY BOYS!" Karloff yelled out as loud as he could to his men. "THIS DAMN HERO NOT ONLY SAVED ME GIRL AND BOY, BUT HE SENT THEM TO GET HELP AS WELL! WE GOT LEGIONARIES ON THE WAY!"

The men cheered again, and this time there wasn't an ounce of tiredness in it this time. Before when Jaune had looked into their eyes he'd seen any number of things, from hate to despair to grim resolution. But now he saw something else in there as well. Hope.

Jaune was pulled back as the men returned to work, the commander smiling at him. "Sorry to be harsh with you, and thank you for saving my kids. I thought today would be my last day, but I promise you if we survive this were going to drink until you can't see. The gods must have sent you to help us, and that gives me a good feeling."

He shouldn't have said that. Jaune had no concrete evidence to go on, but every movie he'd seen or video game he'd ever watched told him not to say things like that. Those sorts of declarative statements brought nothing but trouble.

A moment later he was proven right as the sentries started screaming down at them, that the Black Dogs were attacking again. And this time they weren't alone as an inhuman roar broke out to the general panic of the soldiers running around him.

Throgg was here.

* * *

 **With a single swing of Jaune's sword he struck down all the monsters while getting all the bitches. Yeah not so much. I'm not a big fan of God Jaune stories, while there are good ones they tend to lose a lot of tension and they just get stale to me. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, the next one should be out in a week or so. Thanks, and have a good week.**


	3. Warboss Throgg

**Hey there RWBY fans, welcome back to chapter three. This chapter will be a little shorter than the last one. Originally it was part of the last chapter but I felt it was running on too long. Now let the battle continue. Rated M for all elements involved with Kuroinu.** _ **Italics=thoughts**_

Warboss Throgg

Throgg was here. And if the way it roared was any indication it was pissed.

Jaune and Karloff sprinted up the staircase leading to the top of the wall looking over the gate. Jaune had read about Orcs in his fantasy stories, how they were beastly creatures larger than men. How they lived on war and on the suffering of other creatures, wielding huge weapons and armor with terrible fury.

 _Well other than the armor the stories were spot on._ Jaune grimaced as he watched the orc hoof it across the field. It wasn't fast but the beast was massive easily two or three feet taller than him and easily twice as wide, with arms as thick as Jaunes thighs. Toady had called him big for an orc, but that was a clear understatement. Scars and muscled rippled on its arms and chest while its fat belly hung over a simple loin cloth, the only piece of clothing it had. In comparison to its body its bald head seemed small though it was easily larger than Jaune's, red eyes and yellow teeth in an ugly face. Its skin was a dark green, almost blending in with the darkness though that didn't hide the massive cleaver it held in its right hand. Its blade was jagged and twist almost brown from the blood that had stained its edge. A blade meant for cutting down cattle rather than men, though those watching it had no doubt it could do that with ease.

The beast was slow in comparison to those it led, it jogged more than ran. Had the other Black Dogs run ahead they would have been near the gate by now. Most of its followers though seemed to have sense to not get in its way, even as arrows began to shoot into them from the walls. One particular stupid imp failed to do this and managed to trip in front of Throgg, the orc crushing the imp below its foot. It was to far away to see exactly what happened, but that proved unnecessary when a squelching shriek was quickly cut off. An arrow managed to lodge itself in Throgg's left shoulder, though it didn't even react other than to give out a weird sort of grunts and throat coughs. It took Jaune a second to realize it was laughing.

"That's a big orc." Karloff said in the sort of calm voice from seeing one's death coming.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Jaune responded, watching as the raiding party made it to about the halfway mark across the field. They'd be on them in no more than ten minutes. Karloff laughed and pulled out a flask from his pocket, taking a swig of it.

"Aint no guessing in regards to that boy. That ugly bugger might be slow, but once he gets here won't take much to knock that gate right in. No chance of stopping that now.

"Alright then." Jaune said, managing to tear his eye away from the slow-moving menace and back towards Karloff. "We need to fall back to amore defensible position."

Karloff laughed again, though this time a bit more bitterly. "This look like a garrison to you boy? Or maybe were hiding an ancient keep under the well? The gate _**was**_ the defensive position. And that's about to get fucked up quick. This village is dead."

"There's got to be something we can use. Something we can turn to our advantage" Running a hand through his hair Jaune looked around the village. Most of it was rather simple, wooden and straw thatched houses dotted scrunched together in the little hamlet. Here or there some of them were burning, though many of the arrows fired over had missed entirely. Only a single building stood out from the others a medium sized stone building sitting at the highest point in town. A single small road led up and around it, being no wider than a single cart. Seeing it illuminated by the fire gave Jaune an idea. A really terrible idea.

"That stone building on top of the hill. What is that exactly?" Jaune asked, Karloff turning to look where he was pointing.

"Oh, that's just the storehouse where we store the grain. Only building those prick nobles helped build considering that's where they collect their taxes. I ordered the villagers to take refuge in it when the bastards attacked."

"Then why not fall back to defend that? That's what they're after and it's not like they'll be able to smash through stone like they can here. And they only way they can move quickly at you down that single road." Jaune asked feeling frustrated at something that seemed so obvious.

"For starters while the road might be defensible there are to many small gaps and alleys between our homes for them to slip through. Second it would put my people's lives at risk. They could easily burn it down by mistake. The gate- "

"THE GATE IS LOST!" Jaune yelled, snapping at Karloff and spinning the man towards him. "You can't hold it. But they can't burn your people, their raiders remember? They need them and your food in order to go back home. I can't imagine their leaders are the type to forgive failure. They can't afford to go back empty handed."

"Let's say you're right, that they wont just massacre us all once were holed up in one spot." Karloff snarled, putting himself in Jaune's face. "That still leaves us the orc to deal with and the rest of the village to defend."

"No, it doesn't, you were right what you said earlier. This village is finished, but its people aren't yet and we might be able to save them. We can't save the village itself, so we're going to destroy it instead."

Karloff looked at him like he'd grown two heads. A moment passed before he tipped his head back laughing. Catching his breath, he put the flask to his lips downing the remnants in one go before tossing it aside. "We'll now I'm out of both booze and ideas. So fuck it, let's hear this this brilliant plan you've got to save us?"

"Okay, I never said it was a good plan. Order the men and the walls to keep firing, buy as much time as possible. Get your men together and move them out quickly. We're going to need torches. And as much oil as you have on hand…"

* * *

The arrows had stopped falling a minute ago, to the pleasure of the Black Dogs. Not having to protect themselves behind shields (or for those without shields, behind each other) they surged forward to the gate. Seeing the defenders leap off the walls and scamper off only made them bark and holler more, and after a short uphill run they were at the gates. Swords and axes beat on the wall as they hollered, victory in sight. All shut up though as a shadow fell over them, baleful eyes glaring down at them.

" **Move weaklings.** " It was the most words any of the mercenaries had heard the orc speak, most times it simply uttered one-word statements when it wanted something, and that usually came down to three things. Food, battle or slaves for its bed. But let no one say it wasn't persuasive. Pushing and shoving each other to get clear Throgg strode forward raising its blade in hand. The massive cleaver, affectionately named Big Choppa lived up to its name as Throgg began smashing it into the battered gate with the force of a battering ram.

The first swing made the gate tremble. The second made it buckle inward under the force of the blow. The third created an audible snapping sound, as the guard beam holding it shut fractured along its shaft. Having run out of his already short patience Throgg took his Choppa in both hands, swinging it with a mighty roar.

Whatever resistance the door had left crumbled as the wood was blown apart in a show of orc fury. dust and cinders rained down from above obscuring his sight as the mercenaries cheered and surged forward heedless of how the cloud would bind them to the waiting invaders. Well, the world wouldn't miss a few more idiots, Throgg considered as he stood back waiting for the cloud to settle. Throgg snorted in annoyance, cleaver resting on its shoulder watching the idiots it was forced to work with cheer as if they hadn't fled with their tail between their legs.

In Throgg's mind this fight should have been over already, that a bunch of mangy villagers had held out this long made its low level of these mercs drop even further. This trip to the south was a waste of time, a needless waste of its might. The beast had fought during the rebellion and before for the dark queen. Orcs lived for war, for the feeling of a bloody blade in hand as they killed for plunder and glory. Mighty fortresses and cities to lay siege to, battles on blood-soaked fields where men and beasts gave into the rage beneath. Duels with worthy opponents where only one would walk away, the taste of victory on its lips. Throgg had done all of this and desired it more than anything, even more than the warmth of a screaming woman. A simple raid on a near defenseless village wasn't eve worth getting out of bed.

But orders were orders, and Throgg as dumb as others thought him to be knew better than to get on Vault's bad side. Those who did typically didn't live long lives. So, with a groan bordering between boredom and annoyance Throgg ambled forward under the gateway expecting to see his idiot soldiers finishing the job.

Instead he found an inferno. There were no villagers in sight, no puny men to slaughter or enslave. Instead fire was consuming everything. The houses, the shops everything in sight was burning as if a dragon had unleashed its wrath. Throgg looked around trying to find an explanation, hoping the humans hadn't killed themselves to deny them their prize. It would hardly be the first time.

Throgg found his answer as he squinted further back, a single building safe from the flames. Blue draped figures ran around it piling up barrels and crates along the single road entrance creating a makeshift barricade. Windows on the upper level were open heralding archers holding a position. A man wearing armor far better than those around the seemed to be directing them as the men hurried to make their last stand. He looked like a knight.

As realization came to it Throgg's lips split open into a nasty grin, being quickly replaced by roaring laughter the fear of those around him. His men didn't get it, were to stupid to get it. The villagers had set their own village to the torch, burned it to ensure that they couldn't circle around or flank them. There was only one option, one way to press forward. And that was straight into the enemy's spears.

Throgg got himself under control, wiping the spit from his mouth as he continued to chuckle. He gestured forward with his blade, silently commanding them to attack. For a moment they hesitated as they looked at the flames bordering both sides of the road.

 **Crack**. Throgg's hand slammed down on the closest man's head, twisting and snapping the man's neck with ease. They didn't hesitate this time, charging forward as their fear of him outweighed that of the enemy and fire. Throgg himself began jogging up behind, eyes locked on the knight as it felt the stirring of its battle lust rise.

Maybe this wouldn't be so boring after all.

* * *

"Looks like your gambit worked lad, they're not even trying to find a way around. Got to say I never thought my house burning down would be a good thing."

"Well there's a first time for everything. You can worry about rebuilding if we live through this." Jaune sighed as he covered his mouth. Most of the smoke was thankfully blowing away in the other direction, but the occasional cloud made its way towards them. At least in that regards luck was on their side. "You think the orc will come for me?"

"Would be hard not to the way you were running around and pointing like some noble ponce. That with your armor makes him think you're in charge. Orcs aren't very complicated their interest tend to lie in three areas, fighting fucking and eating. Big ones like that can't resist a good fight, especially one on one. They've got a weird honor about that sort of thing. And they love to claim a leader's head for a trophy, he'll go straight for you. You sure you want to face him alone? Beast like that it's best to have a few spears to draw his attention." Karloff asked, concern etched into his weather face. He'd seen the knight fight but this was an orc they were facing

Jaune sighed, glancing down to the blade in his hand. "Thanks, but no you'll need every spear you can get. Are the villagers ready?"

"No but we don't have time for them ready. I gave them what bows and arrows we have left and that mob is packed tightly together. Even a novice would have a hard time missing. Though I swear if one of them shoots me in the back I'm going to hold you responsible."

Jaune laughed, only to stop as the man pierced him with a glare. Karloff walked off to the barricades, his men snapping to attention.

"No time for speeches boys, we've got dogs to kill. Get the barrels in position and FORM UP!" He yelled out the last part, the few dozen remaining spear men lined up at the top of the hill, nearly a dozen barrels held in position at the lip of the incline. A man with a bucket smelling of rotten eggs moved down the line splashing the tops of each of the barrels, the foul liquid seeping into the wood. The soldiers put them to the torch, the oil and wood burning brightly in the night. Up in the storehouse a dozen bows were nocked by nervous hands, waiting for the signal.

Jaune himself went to his position, standing just to the right of the line as he watched the mercenaries charge up the hill. He readied his stance, nearly resting on his toes as he crouched over. Jaune looked to find Karloff staring at him, waiting for Jaunes go ahead. Jaune held up his sword, waiting for the right moment.

That moment came and nearly went as the Black Dogs surged past the halfway mark. Swiping his sword Jaune heard the twang of a dozen bows fly as the men released the barrels with the butt of their spears. The barrels free from their restraint began to roll and hop down the road, leaving small trails of burning lines in their path. A few lost their trajectory and slammed off to the side but many more kept rolling along. Few arrows found their mark, but it was enough to make them slow for a moment, to momentarily look up.

Just long enough for the barrels to smash into their lines. Men and imp screamed as the front line was subjected to a sudden and painful stop. Those directly hit found the fire quickly burning through their leather armor, those quick enough stopping to strip their clothes off. Others were not so lucky as the flames seemed to consume them, men screaming as the flames licked their skin. In the unlucky case of a pair of imps a barrel rolled straight over the one only for the little monster's body to serve as a launching pad the hardened wood flying straight into the face of the other. It was complete and utter chaos.

It stopped their charge just as Jaune and the second round of arrows struck in. Jaune had charged right behind the barrels, slowing himself down just enough to no pass them. As the men fell and shielded themselves from the incoming projectiles Jaune was upon them. His first swing killed an imp, the creature crying out as it was bisected in two. The next recognized the danger but moved to slowly as Jaune shield bashed him, his body falling backwards onto one of the barrels, screaming as he went up in flames. Jaune dodged the sloppy swing from a third mans flail, a quick chop removing the man's arm.

By now the mercenaries had managed to recover and became aware of the danger. Despite their losses the men were even more eager for blood than before. Jaune knew he couldn't let himself be bogged down. Continuing to run Jaune hid behind his shield as blow after blow landed and was rebounded. He had to act quickly, or risk being surrounded. So, despite his head screaming at him how stupid this idea was, he lowered his shoulder and charged straight through.

Not through the enemy, no that would have been suicide. Instead he charged head first into the wall of one of the last burning homes blocking his way. Thin wood and burning straw couldn't hold against an aura induced charge of a desperate teenager, and as Jaune plowed through he heard the building shift and crack behind him. He emerged from the burning home just in time as it fell behind him, leaving him in the only dead-end street they hadn't torched. A man who had stupidly charged in behind him wasn't so lucky, his shout being reduced to a yelp of horror as the house collapsed on him. The act had taken a hit to his already lowered aura, but it had protected him. He turned back towards the street as the mercenaries began to pour in to follow him.

His reckless charge did more than help distract, as a beastly roar broke out over the sound of burning timber and falling arrows. It had caught someone's attention. Men parted like water as the powerful orc stalked forward, eyes zeroing in on Arc's position.

" **My kill.** " Throgg growled out pointing his cleaver right at him. " **Go get your own.** "

The mercenaries didn't need to be told twice, exiting from the alleyway and resuming their forward march. Jaune cursed as he knew his gambit had run its course, he had hoped to buy the men up top more time. But his part in the villages defense was over, hopefully it would be enough.

He had his own problems to deal with. Throgg ambled down the lane towards him, coughing chuckle on his lips as it lazily swung its cleaver to the left or the right. Jaune for his own part got his blade ready, getting his shield in position. He would need it before this fight was over. Jaune couldn't hope to simply tank this creature blows like the others, he didn't know how much aura he exactly had left, if he had to guess it felt like just over fifty percent left, maybe sixty tops. But would it be enough to protect him? Could he stop this towering beast before he was cut down?

Such thoughts were put aside as Throgg roared and charged forward, its bloody cleaver swing into a wide arc, smashing into Jaunes hastily raised shield. A blow from an imp would have been nothing, a regular mook would have barely registered. The orcs nearly smashed through his defense, arm shaking as his shield absorbed the blow. Jaune's feet slid back, leather grinding on the grass path as he gritted his teeth he lashed out at the orcs unprotected side hoping to end him in his moment of overreach.

This hope proved unfounded, while the Orc was about as unarmored as most of its followers it was by no means defenseless. Its skin was far thicker than any mans (or most orcs for that matter), with a large amount of fat and muscle sitting right behind it. And Jaunes strike showed his inexperience, lacking the full strength and skill necessary. It cut into the beast's skin drawing a yell of pain from it, lacerated the muscle but failed to slice through further, failed to cut through bone or into the organs.

Jaune had just enough time to process this before the enraged orcs kick landed in his gut and blasted him backwards. Just as he had done to Toady not to long ago Jaune flew through the air, wind pushed from his lungs before he crashed back to the ground, managing to roll to his stomach. He had just enough time to groan and rise to his knees before he had to yelp and toss himself sideway. The orcs cleaver buried itself in the ground where he had been kneeling. Rising to his feet he charged the orc with an overhand chop.

With contemptuous ease Throgg pulled the blade from the dirt and raised it defensively in front of him. Its arm shook a little as it's Choppa blocked Crocea Mors, a few chips flying from its blade but it didn't seem concerned. If anything, it seemed pleased as it counter attacked Jaune barely stepping back in time as the cleaver grazed across the torso. Even the refined metal of his breastplate couldn't fully absorb the impact Jaune feeling his aura dip a bit in order to keep the breastplate intact. He didn't have time to think about this as he ducked a swing meant to lop off his head. Dodging the blow, he scored another cut on its back this time, though this was met again with both equal failure and fury.

As the two continued this song and dance for a few minutes Jaune began to come to a realization. He was losing and looking at Throgg's face he knew the orc knew it as well. Yes, Throgg might be the one bleeding and wounded but Jaune was running out of time and energy. Every punch or kick he took, every vicious blow from the cleaver that just grazed him was dropping his aura further and further. How long could he keep this up before it gave out completely, leaving him just a regular teenager against a monster? Maybe if he'd had a full amount of aura at the start, or someone to help him he could wear him down but not on his own. Considering how low his aura felt one full swing from that orc blade might be enough to finish him.

So, Jaune did unknowingly what many warriors before him had done in a desperate situation. He gambled. Throgg was tougher than him and stronger than him, but he was also slower than him, more predictable. Tanking a few more blows on his shield and giving a few feinting strikes Jaune waited for his moment. If it didn't work, Jaune knew he was a dead man.

Jaune saw his chance only a second or two before it happened, Throgg reared back for a massive overhead swing, telegraphing the wind up clear as day. It was meant to bring Jaune down to one knee, to leave him exposed for a killing blow. Throgg had done this to more than one inexperienced knight, the move had served him well before. With how weak Jaune felt it would no doubt have succeeded if he had tried to block it.

Which was why he didn't. Instead of trying to block the blow he hit the mechanism controlling his shield, collapsing it back to sheathe form. The blow sailed by harmlessly just missing Jaune, the blade burying itself deep into the dirt. Jaune acted quickly before Throgg could get over his surprise or draw back his blade. He drew his right arm in the air while his left tightened its grip on his sheathe.

Before he shoved it straight into Throgg's mouth. The orc coughed and choked, spit and phlegm flying from its mouth as it attempted to dislodge the shield in it, Jaune keeping it jammed in. Its weaponless hand began to come up to grab it out, to tear it from both Jaune and its throat. Which it would know doubt succeed at, but that didn't matter anymore.

For the briefest of moments Throgg had let himself be distracted.

With a yell Jaune let go of his sheathe and grabbed the handle of his sword by both hands and had swung down as hard as he could. Down at Throgg's weapon hand still clutching the embedded cleaver, at the wrist where the skin and fat was thinnest. Where a true blow might actually do some damage.

For the first time perhaps, this whole battle Jaune succeeded at just that, his swing not only piercing through the skin but lopping off the oversized hand entirely. The hand flew off the handle, blood splaying out in an almost beautiful arc.

Jaune had a moment to watch the hand fall to the ground before a rage induced roar drew him back to reality. Jaune had just enough time to turn back to his enraged opponent before a fist slammed into him like a wrecking ball. When had been kicked he had flown back a few feet. Now he found himself soaring through the sky, Crocea falling from his hand before slamming into the side of a building. Jaune hacked and gasped from the blow, moving back to step away from the flames caressing his aura.

Throgg however was officially done playing around. No words came from his lips, the greenskined monster simply roared launching itself towards Jaune in a charge of four hundred pounds of fury. Jaune yelped and leapt to the side. Throgg smashed into the wall of the house, the timber collapsing down on top of him. Jaune leapt up and scrambled for his sword, hearing the beast's roars as it ripped through the lumber merely holding it back. Jaunes hand reached it just as Throgg tore free, charging heedlessly of the pain he was in. as it lunged for him Jaune turned and lunged.

Crocea pierced true, driving through for the first time through the layers of fat and muscle that made up Throgg's belly. Jaune drove the blade with all his strength, certain the blade had gone straight through.

Throgg could care less it seemed as it continued to barrel into the blonde knight driving him straight into the section of the villages defensive wall. Whatever rationale or fear it had was gone from the beast as a single thought dominated its mind. Kill the boy. As Jaune gasped and choked Throgg wrapped his arms around his torso lifting him from his feet to dangle above him.

Then it began to squeeze, and thee last of Jaune's aura gave.

It was agony, that was the only expression jaune could think of as Throgg began to bear hug him to death. His legs thrashed, his arms flailed against the beast trying to beat himself free from the beast. Whatever damage the metal vambraces on his arm inflicted on Throgg seemed to do squat, not even when he felt the orcs nose crumple under the assault. His torso was in hell as he felt his ribs begin to creak and bend into themselves. The breastplate which was the only thing currently keeping him alive began to work against him, as Jaune felt the metal begin to warp and push in to him, his armor quickly becoming a death trap. Jaune had to get out, had to do anything to make the pain stop.

The answer came as he flailed around desperately, his right-hand brushing against smooth wood. No time to think Jaune simply reacted ripping the arrow from the orc's shoulder and driving it into its eye.

Throgg screamed, not roared or bellowed but screamed in agony as the arrow tip pierced through his retina, half his world turning to darkness as blood sprayed down his face. Out of instinct it tossed Jaune away, falling to its knees as it desperately grasped at the shaft. The blood made it hard to grip and each time it succeeded it would make the wood shake in the pulpy mess that was its socket, bringing new agony too the monster.

Jaune for his part flew through the air for the third time in as many minutes. Landing several yards away from the yowling monster Jaune crashed to the ground, his ribs screaming out at him as he rolled to a stop, something poking Jaune in the back. He gasped in agony, his body seeming to fight for both the need to breathe and the need to not make his ribcage expand any more than was necessary.

A greater need rose to his mind as he got a tiny semblance of control back, eye falling back on the still yowling monster. Jaune had to kill it, had to strike it down now. It was no noble sentiment that drove him to his feet, body shouting in protest as he reached behind him to grab whatever it was that was poking into him. No brave ideas about right and wrong as he ripped it from the ground with both hands. Only one was driving him now, one thing motivating him beyond all else.

Fear. The fear in not wanting to die.

Jaune screamed as loud as he could as he willed himself forward, his body hurting everywhere. He half ran and half stumbled forward as he blitzed forward, hands gripping the handle so tightly he could feel it cutting into his palms. Throgg noticed his scream, eyes widening as the fear driven boy charged him. It forgot the arrow and began to react, attempting to rise to its feet, to attack to do anything it could.

It wasn't enough. Jaune cleared the last few feet between them and slammed his attack into the top of the orc's skull. A crack like a falling oak tree sounded out as the orcs beloved Big Choppa smashed through the top of his own skull, bone and brain splattering as the blade sunk in a few inches. The swing had been so hard jaune had to let go of the blade his arms and wrists screening in protest. The reverberations going up his arm made him stumble and fall backwards inducing a new round of pain in his abused body. He allowed himself to wallow for a few seconds of pain before his mind reminded him of the monster a few feet away. Wanting but unable to kick himself Jaune pushed himself into a sitting position, planning to crawl away if needed.

It wasn't, a realization that came to him as he saw Throgg looking up stupefied at the several feet of blade protruding from the top of its skull. Its single eye was locked on the blade which had served him in so many battles now splattered with his own bloody. It's unmaimed hand shakily rose up above his shoulder, and with more gentleness than Jaune though possible of it merely tapped the handle as if to confirm what it was seeing.

Convinced that this was actually reality its arm dropped back down to its side, its body beginning to slump over. Throgg's single eyes swiveled away from its blade to look down at the beaten down knight. Jaune recognized the hatred, the bloodlust was still prevalent in its gaze. But something else was mixed in there two, something almost akin to respect. The two mauled combatants stared at one another for a moment, everything else seeming to fade away in that moment. The fire, the battle nothing else seemed to matter. The moment was broken when Throgg spoke.

" **That was a good fight.** " That was it, those last words were all it could muster before its remaining eye rolled back into its skull and fell lifeless to its side. Its body released a final thump of noise as it crashed to the grass below.

Jaune for his own part collapsed as well, the orcs death being his own finishing blow in a way. He knew he should get up, should check to see if the villagers were holding on. Or perhaps to take this moment to escape, to keep going north. But he found himself to exhausted to care, to tired to lift his head or keep his eyes open.

Not even when a cacophony of trumpets blared out, the neighing of horses or the screams of dying men rang out all the louder. Not even the sounds of a familiar voice calling his name or shaking his shoulder reached through. To him it was just noise, just a loud mix of sound eventually combining together into one roaring voice, louder and more bloodthirsty than anything he'd ever known.

It was all that followed his mind into the darkness.

* * *

 **And that concludes the end of chapter three. That was admittedly the longest fight sequence I've ever written, and now I feel my pillow calling me. I'll see you all next week. Hopefully.**


	4. Jacinda

**Chapter 4 is up and running! Sorry it was delayed a week, work has been kicking my ass and about two thirds of the way through my computer crashed and I lost this chapter, had to rewrite on my back up. I'm going to try and do updates once a week from now on as opposed to a fixed day. With the holiday season coming up though updates might be a bit erratic. I appreciate all the feedback I've received about the story so far, and I hope to keep improving as it keeps going. One person asked me about power levels, I don't want to go fully into it right now, but if I was to rank a powerful orc like Throgg, I'd put him at about the strength of a Beowulf, maybe a low level Ursa. That should give you an indication of the future conflicts to come… Rated M for Kuroinu, Italics=thoughts.**

* * *

Jacinda

It was an odd thing, to be dreaming and aware at the same time. To see the dark and strange things one's mind could conjure and be conscious of it. Jaune felt himself floating along a sea of darkness. His body shifting and bumping along an uneven path, his mind barely aware of his own existence. Occasionally he thought someone was talking to him, a gruff voice he knew from somewhere but he couldn't make it out.

Otherwise it was just him and the inky blackness, at least at first. Within that darkness eyes began to open upon him. A few at first, then more and more until they seemed to appear in all directions. Eyes of every color and shape, soft blues and browns, harsh yellows and vicious blacks. More than any though were the reds, small in number at first than spreading like a plague. Eyes like blood spread more and more, quenching eyes both calming and disconcerting alike until all were gone.

Then they turned to him and consumed all that was left until even darkness became nothing.

Jaune burst up from his slumber, cloth falling from his chest and his heart pounding. His breathe came out in ragged hacks as confusion raged in his mind. So many things were mixing together from the previous night. The clashing of bloody steel, the pleading and screaming of dying men. A monstrous roar in his ear as he'd felt the life being squeezed from him. He felt trapped in this maelstrom of memory until a hand clasped him by the shoulder, shaking him back to reality.

"Easy there lad your safe, whatever your seeing it's just the past. Follow my voice, come back to the present. Nice and easy."

The voice was gruff, years of life and experience tempering it in a rough tone. But it was comforting in its own way and Jaune found himself calming, his breath slowing. He turned to the voice speaking to him, eyes focusing in on the man calmly shaking him. Brown eyes stared at him equal parts concerned and amused as Jaune caught his breath. One arm was gripping him in place while the other was done up in a sling, his armor discarded in place

"Karloff? Y-Your alive? Or is this the afterlife?"

"What kind of fucking question is that to ask first thing in the morning? Course we're alive, thanks to you lad. A bit worse for wear, but otherwise fine. We held them long enough for Jacinda's reinforcements to arrive and wipe out all those bastards out. Even took a few alive for the legion to interrogate. Not that those idiots will know much. We're on our way to the town as we speak."

Once his heart wasn't threatening to burst from his chest he looked around his vision returning to him. The sun was barely peeking out from behind the hills, and wherever they were it wasn't the village any more. They were on a road and moving forward, the cart beneath him trundling along unchecked. It was part of a large part of a caravan of refugees making their way away from the destroyed village. Numerous soldiers flanked the column of people, breastplates shining as they scanned the area around them. Jaune spotted the occasional militiamen, but they were lost in the far larger number of women children and elders. More than a few were whispering and pointing at him, something which made him turn his eyes away.

"Feeling a bit self-conscious are you boy? Isn't this your moment to be the knight in shining armor? Though I suppose you'd need to be wearing it to make it look good." Jaune turned back with a scowl, a small smile tugging at the older man's face. After a moment what he said clicked in his mind only for him to grasp at his chest, his hoodie in his fingers instead of breastplate. He began to frantically look for his armor and sword only to stop when Karloff put up his good hand in a placating manner.

"Relax boy, we didn't leave your gear behind, it's hanging off the side of the cart. And the swords to your left under that cloth." Jaune reached under the gestured blanket, giving a sigh of relief when Crocea Mors was in his hands again. He thumbed the handle of the sword, extending the blade a few inches from the sheath. he checked it for signs of stain or damage and was thankful to find none. It also seemed someone had taken the liberty of cleaning it for him. His reflection shined back at him, not a speck of blood dotting its surface.

He pushed it back into its sheath, the blade locking back in with a click before attaching it to his belt. "Thank you. I'm going to need this."

"Yeah I figured as much. Heavy thing that blade, back in my fighting days I wielded great swords with both hands that didn't weigh as much as that. Your armors even heavier and nearly in mint condition, a strange thing considering an orc of that size was doing its best to crush it like a glass bottle. When we found you after the battle we thought you were dead, and yet you've barely got a bruise on you."

Karloff looked at Jaune, eyes boring into him questioningly. "Anything you wish to say that can explain any of this?"

Oh, Jaune had plenty he could say, but knew that he couldn't. How could he hope to explain it in a way that would make him believe him? A forcefield projected from the soul that protected oneself from harm and had healed him after its return. An appointed mission from a captured goddess to save a kingdom. And let's not forget the biggest elephant in the room, that he was from another world. How could he hope to get Karloff to believe any of this? Jaune could barely believe it and he was living it.

Karloff waited for a moment for him to reply. When it became evident he wasn't going to he simply huffed and turned away. "Fine keep your secrets, I owe you a lot so I won't pry. But you better have something better to say to the commandant than silence when we get to Jacinda. They legion is going to be curious about you same as me boy. And they'll do what they need to get answers."

With that the man laid himself back, closing his eyes to the rising sun. The cart moved on in uncomfortable silence, just Jaune and his thoughts.

* * *

It took the better part of the morning before Jacinda came into view, and to the relief of may (Jaune included) it was a sight to behold. Toady and Karloff had both called it a town, described it as such. If Jaune was to compare it to anything it reminded him more of a small city. The town sloped down and over the hills and plains dotting the region, a number of huts and small settlements located outside the walls just visible to the eye. A strong river flowed directly through its center, the rushing waters flowing beneath a gated opening beneath the city walls. The city itself seemed a mixture of spiraling towers and lower more squat buildings nestled in between. Coming back to the walls they were well sized and fortified with grey stone and tall thick buttresses. Whoever had built it clearly favored efficiency over aesthetic, as the wall had been built in with arrow slits and guard towers in the stone. It was nowhere near in size to the walls of the cities of Remnant, but that in Jaunes mind was to be expected. None here had to worry about mindless hordes of Grimm attempting to breach the city, heedless of losses or moral.

No, the only enemy that would be attacking here would be one who could think and plan. One who would scream and cry as they died in droves attempting to breach the walls or smash through the gates. Jaune wasn't sure if he'd prefer that or the Grimm. At least the latter wouldn't beg for mercy.

"Quite the sight isn't it? Blew my mind the first time I saw it. The crown jewel of the Frostling region, largest settlement in the north." Karloff said while sitting up, a hint of pride carried in his voice.

"Umm I'm sorry did you say Frostling? I thought this was Dallia." Jaune asked him as he remembered his conversation with the not so dear departed Toady.

"Oh right, I suppose you might not have known. Frostling is the old name in these parts, named for our vicious winters. We are part of the empire now but many still use the old name. About forty years ago, back when I was still a boy we were our own nation, ruled by the various clans and tribes who held various regions of the north. We had no kings and no nobles; every tribe had their own way of choosing their leaders. Some were better than others but overall it worked out alright. We were separate but would unite in the face of a common problem."

"Okay, if that's the case then what went wrong?" Jaune asked, already seeing where this was going.

Karloff laughed, one that was both bitter and amused. "We were what went wrong, that's what happened. Before the last conflict a series of unfortunate incidents occurred and eventually a civil war broke out. No one knows who started it, every clan still existing lays the blame on every other clan for some reason or another. Some even accuse the former emperor, claim that he caused all the issues and they may not be wrong about that. Whatever the truth was it didn't stop the clans from slaughtering each other. In the end the clans spent so much time fighting each other they never saw the invasion coming. By the time it did it was too late. The empires armies strolled in and those who didn't bend the knee were quickly put to the sword. And that's how a five-hundred-year-old kingdom died and turned into a province."

"That's unfortunate, it's never right when people can't get along. It never seems to end well." Jaune said a bit nervously as he noticed a few of the legionnaires traveling with them seemed to be listening in on them.

Karloff unconcerned or uncaring continued on. "Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't really care all that much. Our kingdom fell when I was a boy, most of my life was spent in the Auxiliary Corp of a Legion before I returned home. Became a citizen that way, something I'd never be under the old way of doing things. We traded in our raiding and fighting for building and harvesting. A village doesn't have to worry an enemy clan was going to burn their crops down, and the empire instituted laws that gave us common folk some protections. It isn't perfect, but until recently our families were overall safer from harm. The few idiots who want to return to the glory days need to be reminded of that. You can't change the past, you can only focus on the present."

"Right, I guess tat makes sense. But wait, you said you're a chieftain, doesn't that make you a noble?" Jaune asked as the city began to grow larger.

"Eh not really, chieftains are chosen to represent villages by their people. I was in charge of the village and the fields outside of it but that was about it. My position is more administrative than anything else. In the southern regions others like me might be called mayors or ministers, but it's really the same thing."

"So, if it's not yourself or the other clans, then who's in charge?" Jaune pressed further, trying to know who he'd be dealing with.

Karloff shrugged, a movement that did not reassured him. "Depends who you ask I suppose, there's two answers to that question. The more obvious is a family called the Malboros, they were the first major clan to side with the empire, and they were rewarded control of the region as a result. Their current family head is a man named Vayne, officially the duke of this region. He owns Jacinda, though his castle is actually far to the south. He only comes up here to hold court once or twice a month and to collect taxes. Outside of that he doesn't do more than required of him. Tends to delegate to the lesser nobles." A distasteful look came across Karloff's face at that, as if stopping himself from saying more.

"And the second answer?" Jaune asked deciding to push the conversation forward

"The other answer is the legions commander, Praetorian Karia Ivalice. A southern noble from the emperor's court, she's a rather direct woman but a fair one. Locals tend to go more to her to settle issues than to Vayne. The empire still holds a sizeable garrison to keep control of the city and to keep an eye on the region, about five hundred strong. The duke doesn't have to provide them with support, but they also don't answer to him. Only the emperor or a chosen representative can command them. Five hundred might not seem like much but you know what they say, quality over quantity."

"If it wasn't for extraordinary luck yesterday, the Black Dog's quantity would have crushed us before the legion could arrive." Jaune pointed out, drawing a small laugh from Karloff as the cart rounded the walls pulling the gate in view.

"True enough, we had lady luck on our side, make no mistake. But let's hope that isn't a trend, its not bad to be lucky but ask any gambler and they'll tell you. Sooner or later, your luck will run out. Ah we're finally here." Karloff said this last part with a grin, standing up with a grin and gingerly hopping out of the cart. Jaune after a moment of rising on unsteady legs followed suit. He grabbed his armor before jogging to catch up, slinging it over his shoulder rather than attempting to put it on.

The gate stood imposingly before them, iron portcullis raised already to grant them entry. The column passed through. They passed underneath the tons of stone to exit into what appeared to be a large marketplace. Merchants hawked their wares as patrons and pickpockets alike made their way through cobbled streets. The column of soldiers and refugees navigated the crowds of people and onlookers with ease, most being smart enough to move out of way. They winded through street after street, their march drawing the eyes of many as they made their way.

Jaune and Karloff were marching near the front of the group as they exited into one of the more open portions of the city. A large but squat looking building loomed in front of them as the company slowed to a halt, the soldiers dismounting from their horses and handing them off to waiting servants. More soldiers seemed to be in this area than anywhere else he'd seen them, and it took him a moment to realize that this was the barracks.

Jaune hadn't had a chance to count the men who'd come to their rescue, but if he had t guess it had numbered about hundred, maybe a hundred-twenty tops. Jaune could see what Karloff meant by quality as they moved quickly into formation, a number forming a perimeter around the refugees while the rest quickly lined up into blocks of twenty in front of the entryway to the building.

"ATTENTION! ALL EYES FORWARD! The honorable commandant Praetorian Ivalice is here to address you, so open your ears." A voice yelled out from the top of the barracks, cutting through the chatter like a knife. The soldiers snapped into a rigid stance while the eyes of everyone turned to the front of the building where a small delegation was stepping out. A few guards wearing armor plating better than the others flanked two by two as a woman in military uniform stepped between them.

Her skin was tanner than most of the people Jaune had seen since arriving and her greying hair was done up in an efficient bun. Jaune guessed she must be somewhere in her forties or early fifties at the most, but she moved in an efficient regal manner, multiple scars running down her face on the left side as her amber eyes seemed to sweep over the crowd. She had a commanding presence that made Jaune unconsciously stand a little taller She wore an iron cuirass and set of greaves and vambraces over cream colored clothes, the front of her breastplate stamped with the symbol of a crown with three crossed swords behind it. Strapped to her side was a sheathed longsword, the hilt guard and handle stamped with a series of glowing runes that drew Jaunes attention.

The woman walked briskly in front of the crowd and to a small wooden stage in the middle of the courtyard. shined and black boots coming to a stop with a click of her heels. Her eyes scanned the people, eyes seeming to linger for a moment over Jaune and Karloff before returning to the middle.

Clearing her throat, she turned to address the crowd. Her voice hoarser and deeper than Jaune expected "Ladies and gentlefolk, citizens of the empire. For those of you who do not know me I am Karia Ivalice, the commander of his grace Emperor Galterius Amarro's northern garrison. I would like to be the first to officially welcome you to Jacinda, and to assure you that the empire is here to see to your safety and wellbeing. I simply wish it was under better circumstances."

Pausing for a moment to let these words wash over the mumbling smallfolk, she proceeded with her speech.

"You have all come here under unfortunate circumstances. The mongrel dogs of the Kuroinu empire attacked you without cause and justification. And we together put them down like the mad dogs they are. Though our legionnaires and your militia performed admirably in the destruction of the enemy I know this is poor comfort to you. Your homes have been destroyed and many of you have lost friends and family in the last twenty-four hours. I understand this has torn a hole in your hearts, one which will never quite heal. Not even the grace of his majesty can replace that which you have lost."

"But I want you to know that we will do everything we can to help rebuild your lives. Your home has been destroyed, but we will assist you in building a new one. I will need to speak with Duke Malboro about allocating new land and resources to you, though I expect with winter coming such construction won't be able to take place until the spring."

The mumblings increased a bit at that, and many were discontent at the answer. Ivalice continued on as if she couldn't hear the complaints being muttered beneath her. "That being said fear not, you will not be left to the mercies of the cold. The legionnaires who were not sent to fight have been hard at work, clearing an area within one of Jacinda's beautiful parks to accommodate you. we have tents and blankets prepared for you, as well as a hot meal ready and waiting. My soldiers will escort you to the camp for now. May the emperor guide our path."

A few of the refugees mumbled the words back, though many had perked up at the mention of food and rest. The soldiers surrounding them hit the ground with the but of their spears in salute before turning and beginning to usher the refugees out of the courtyard. Jaune and Karloff began to follow the group only to stop as a voice called out to them.

"Chieftain Karloff, young man if I could have a moment of your time?" The two turned back to see Ivalice walking towards the two, hands on her hips and sword respectively. The two shared a look but walked over towards the woman, the corralling soldiers allowing them to pass by.

"Hello Praetorian it's good to see you again, let me just say on behalf of my people thank you for the assistance. Your legionnaires pulled through for us." Karloff said extending his one good arm forward. Ivalice took it, a small smile on her face.

"I was only performing my duty as the emperor demand. You are citizens of the emperor and thus deserving of our protection and the legion will always take pleasure in killing monsters and rapists. I do apologize for those you have lost chieftain."

Karloff frowned at this giving a stiff nod as he crossed his arms. "Bastards payed for it in the end and though might be bloodied we'll pull through. Your soldiers managed to take a few of those fanatics alive."

"Yes, I was informed of that by a scout who rode ahead of the column." Ivalice continued on hands folded behind her back. A sharp glint had entered her eye. "The few that survived are being transferred to the dungeons as we speak for interrogation. They may be defiant for now, but a few days hanging from their feet should get them talking. "

The woman's eyes moved over to Jaune, seeming to eye him almost dismissively. "In the meantime, I am led to believe you received assistance before we arrived. Might I know the name of our young hero?" The woman's eyes moved over to Jaune, seeming to eye him almost dismissively.

"Certainly, this is Jaune Arc, a traveling knight if I understand him correctly. He arrived during the attack and fought alongside us, organized the defense. We wouldn't have made it without his help, the lad even slew an orc that was leading them."

"What!?" Ivalice called out, eyes shifting back over to Karloff. "There was no mention of an orc in the report."

"Yeah well that's not exactly surprising." Karloff said scratching the back of his head. "Jaune led the beast off to the side of the village to keep it from compromising our defenses. And it was my boys who found them when the fires had died down so your soldiers could have missed him. It was a big fucking one though, had to at least a brute or chieftain level orc."

"Hmm, indeed. Well you must be quite the fighter than Ser Arc. Few knights could hope to take on an orc of that size on their own and live to tell the tale. And I happen to know any knight of this region capable of such a feat. Where do you hail from exactly?" Ivalice looked at him with more interest now, eyes moving up and down the teenage boys form.

Jaune scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously at the attention. Jaune had been warned he would need a good story to tell, but he didn't think he'd need to know this quickly. _Do I tell the truth or do I lie?_ Jaune was at best a mediocre liar and telling the truth was unlikely to be believed. So he went with the third option. A little bit of both.

"You can just call me Jaune if you like, I don't have any official title. Not really all that much of a fighter either truth be told. I come from the village of Ansel, from a kingdom called Vale."

"Vale? Can't say I've ever heard of such a place. Is it far from here? Perhaps across the sea?" Ivalice asked eyes seeming to try and pierce into his, searching for any falsehood.

 _Oh, farther than you can imagine lady._ "Yes, quite a long distance from here. Even as far as it was though I heard of the atrocities of the Kuroinu. I…a friend of mine lives in Eostia and I need to save her."

Karloff snorted at this drawing there eyes back to him "You won't be doing much of that I fear. The Black Dogs might be idiots but they're good fighters. And there's tens of thousands of them over that border, with hordes of monsters at their disposal. What was your plan exactly? Throw on some armor, grab the nearest boat that would take you here than challenge the entire Kuroinu army by yourself?"

"I didn't exactly have time for a plan. I got here yesterday and the first thing I saw was your village under attack." Jaune shot back feeling both a bit annoyed and embarrassed at the accusation. In no small part because he was right.

"Chief Karloff please." Ivalice said, her voice filled with sympathy. "There's no need to be disrespectful. He claims to be new to these lands and may be unaware of how foolish such an attempt would be.

"Oh I'm fully aware of that, doesn't make it any less stupid. Nor does it help us with how weak the border is right now either. Villages are under assault and the nobles seem content to hide in their castles. He might have killed the orc but others will come sooner or later, some perhaps bigger than the last. Suppose another one decides to come down from the mountains or brings its tribe with him, the nobles inaction leaves us helpless to stop them."

"Actually, I think he came from the Black Fortress." Both leader's heads swiveled towards Jaune at that moment, making him cringe a little internally. "I…I was told he came from a place called the Black Fortress. His name was Throgg, was sent there with orders to lead the raid."

"And who exactly told you that?" Ivalice asked eyes narrowing and hand inching over to her sword handle. Jaune wanted to kick himself for opening his big mouth.

"I ran into some Black Dog's on the road. They were attacking a pair of children and I stopped them. I kept one of them alive and got him to tell me. After that I sent them away on a horse and headed to the village."

Ivalice looked like she wanted to ask more, but Karloff beat her to it. "My kids, gods with everything happening how could I forget? Where is my boy and girl Ivalice? They were the ones who brought you the warning right?"

"Yes, both of them are fine Chief Karloff. Actually that's the second reason I called you over…" Ivalice signaled to someone on the wall causing another door to open and let out two familiar figures. They had cleaned up since Jaune had last seen them, no longer wearing torn or bloody clothing but there was no mistaking the two children as they shielded their eyes for a moment from the sun.

Once their eyes had adjusted and settled on the figures standing a few dozen feet away their reaction was instantaneous. Jacob and Elaine sprinted towards them excitedly. Karloff for his part fell to one knee his one good arm open to catch them. With years of practice came from being a father he managed to catch the two of them, barely preventing them from bowling him over. Elaine buried her face into his chest her shoulders shuddering while Jacob was wrapped into the man's side, trying not bump the man's arm.

Karloff for his part held the two tightly, hand rubbing through their hair. "Oh, bless the gods your both alive. Are you both okay?" Elaine for her part nodded her head into his chest while Jacob looked up at him, a guilty expression on his face.

"Father I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Jacobs father looked down at him, concern on his face. "Whatever for my son?"

"I-I didn't come back. I didn't try to help you and instead I ran away like a cowa- "Jacob was interrupted as his fathers hand came up to lay on top of the boys head, gently tussling his hair.

"Don't say another word boy, there is nothing to forgive. I told you to run to save you and your sister and like a good son you listened. I would rather have died a hundred times over than to see either of you harmed."

"But I left you behind. You stayed behind to fight while we ran away." Jacob responded weakly, unable to meet his fathers' eyes. Karloff simply tilted his son's head back forcing him to look at him.

"And in doing so you did far more than coming back could have. You saved my life, and the lives of so many others. Sometimes we have to save ourselves first if we want to save others. Any idiot can run to their death, only a wise man can know when to fight and when to run away. So, don't speak anymore foolishness." Jacob stopped protesting at this point and simply leaned in closer, finally crying like his sister. Karloff looked over to Ivalice and Jaune with gratitude in his eyes.

"Thank you both for this. Since my wife passed away these two have been my treasures. They're all I have."

"It was only my duty." "I'm just glad I could help." Both Ivalice and Jaune said at the same time, the two glancing over at each other. The woman gave a small huff and turned away, removing her hand from her sword.

"I have taken enough of your time today, I know your exhausted and in need of rest. And I have other matters to attend to. My soldiers will escort you all to the camp. Please remain there for the time being. I will wish to meet with you both later this week to discuss the Black Dogs assault. That amongst other things as well." She said this last bit with her eyes narrowed on Jaune. The two men gave a small affirmative before she turned and marched back to the barracks, her guards closing back around her.

"Well, I'd say that went pretty well for a first meeting." Karloff said to Jaune as he rose back to his feet, kids still clinging to him.

Jaune for his part simply looked at him. "Hard to tell from a first meeting, she only talked to us for a few minutes. And he seemed suspicious of me."

"Course she's suspicious she just met you, I was suspicious till you fought next to me and that was only yesterday. Nor is it surprising that she only met us for a moment, the Praetorian is a busy woman. She has an entire province to look over and a small army to run, not to mention Jacinda itself. She's dealing with raiders, bandits and nobles on a regular basis. The legions concerned about the attack, but that can't be there only concern. But look on the bright side, she's helping out the refugees and she hasn't ordered you confined despite her suspicion. All in all, I'd call that a good day."

"Suppose you might be right." Jaune conceded, feeling a bit calmer about the whole ordeal.

"Ha, course I'm right. Now let's get headed back to the others. Got a bowl of soup and a tent to lay my head calling my name. Let's go you scamps."

With that Karloff lead his kids away, leaving Jaune alone for a second before he strove to catch up. There was a lot of things he had to work through, the battle he had fought in, the future meeting with Ivalice and his inevitable need to head north to a kingdom filled with psychotic killers. None of which he had any idea of what to do about.

But as he watched Karloff hold his kids and make his way back to his people, Jaune felt a moment of assurance. That whatever choices he'd made in the past, whatever he'd do in the future, today had been a good day. And maybe things would work out.

Also he was starving, and a hot meal sounded like heaven right now.

* * *

 **And chapter four crossed the finish line. It did so a week late and without to much progression but hey shit happens. Jaune survived with the villagers and made his way to Jacinda. What will happen next in the northern capital of the empire? Only time will tell.**

 **So I've introduced a new character, albeit another OC and mentioned a few others. I'm going to try and limit home many OC's Jaune meets in this story to keep it from being bogged down, but for now it's necessary. For those waiting I promise Jaune will be meeting with some of the anime characters soon, though it will be a few more chapters before then. Primarily because he hasn't actually made it to Eostia yet. There's still quite a bit of distance between there and Jacinda, anything can happen…**

 **See you all next week, thanks for the support.**


	5. Sticks And Stones

**Chapter five is ready to set sail. It took me awhile, as the work increase due to the holidays has made things a bit insane, unfortunately this pattern may continue over the next few months. I do have some author notes at the end of this chapter to address a few things some reviewers and PMers had to ask me. Thank you all for the support and interest. Rated M for Kuroinu, Italics=thoughts.**

Moves and Pieces

Chop! Went the axe as it cleaved through the wooden log, splitting the pine down the middle and resting in the middle of the oak stump beneath it. Jaune tugged the woodsman's axe out with a grunt, waiting as Elayne grabbed the split pieces while Jacob placed another portion on the stump in front of them. Jaune wiped his brow and adjusted his shirt, his armor and sword being left in his tent. The three youngsters were on the edge of the camp set up for the refugees helping to split numerous boughs of lumber brought to keep the fires going. With almost comical ease Jaune hefted the axe up and slammed it back down, aura fueled muscles cleaving the wood like paper.

The legion had initially provided them with the required wood to keep the fires lit, but had eventually decided letting a group of despondent and emotionally fragile people to themselves was a bad idea. Plus a few hundred more people in a city was a drain on the resources. So, they put those capable of it to work, the women being used to work in the fields while the men were sent to the forest. Jaune had volunteered to go with them but was rebuffed, Karloff telling him he was needed here in case Ivalice called for him.

It wasn't the first time he was told that he couldn't leave the city. Jaune wasn't officially a prisoner, he still wore his arms and armor whenever he traveled through the streets but anytime he attempted to travel to close to the main gate he was politely requested to return to the camp. He was used to living in enwalled settlements, in a kingdom like Vale where the kingdom was so infested by Grimm it was always necessary, but never had he felt so confined before.

A wise man once said you can't get to know a place until you've immersed yourself in it fully. Who this wise man was or why he felt the need it spout such wisdom Jaune didn't know or frankly care. Jacinda Jaune found was a city that left him conflicted. It's white stones and orderly streets showed the efficiency in which it was run. The streets were clean and its people seemed content and well off. And the small folk had taken well to the refugees, bringing them gifts and comforts. In the case of a lucky few they'd even been able to leave the camp to join up with kin and family living in the city. It was everything one could hope for in a community.

But beneath the idyllic scenery Jaune felt a tension in the city. One could feel it as he walked down the streets with Karloff or his children, the eyes of the legionnaires seeming to follow him wherever he went. Could see it in the architecture of the city, older more medieval buildings seeming to clash with those of a more imperial design. He could even hear it wherever he went, as locals discussed the latest raid or attack from the Black Dogs. Some felt the legion had responded efficiently as possible, while others groused that they should have prevented the attack in the first place. A lot of the latter seemed to come from the upper portions of the city, the nobles and richer members of the city.

Meanwhile the camp had grown to be suffocating. The first day or two had been alright, with people attempting to settle in to their temporary abodes or deal with those they had lost. Jaune had done what he could to help, setting up tents and spending time with Karloff and his kids while they waited to meet with Ivalice. Relief soon gave way to anxiety though as they days had stretched into a week, with no sign of the Praetorian. Karloff had been called to his meeting, but Jaune was kept waiting in the dark. When the chieftain had returned from giving his report, he hadn't given anything away, just a gruff grunt telling Jaune to be patient that Ivalice was a busy woman.

Jaune was growing tired of being patient. As much as he was glad to have helped them initially, he was more or less sitting on his heels now. There was nothing more he could do for these people here, he needed to go north. But every time he attempted to breach the conversation Karloff would change the topic, politely of course.

 **Chop!** Jaune looked down at where he had been cutting to see that the axe had not only cut through the log, but in his frustration had slammed though the stump and into the ground below. Other men who had been cutting nearby were staring at him disbelieving while Jacob and Elayne looked at him in almost wonder.

"You know, if being a knight doesn't work out for you, you could always take up being a woodcutter as a career." Jaune looked behind him to see Karloff standing behind him, a cheeky grin on his face.

Jaune huffed and reached down with both hands, yanking the blade from the dirt where it was lodged. "I don't that life is for me. And I've told you I'm not a knight."

Karloff snorted but didn't press the issue. "Well we appreciate it regardless. Hope these two haven't been bothering you too much."

"Of course not father." Elaine's quiet voice spoke, one of the few times she'd spoken since arriving. "I would never seek to impede Ser Arc's work, and we've been helping around camp as you told us."

"Yeah can't be sitting on our butts being lazy. Not when the Black Dogs are threatening the border. The next time they attack we'll be ready." Jacob piped in, a determined expression on his face. Karloff frowned at this, his still injured arm twitching a bit at the name.

"Let us hope that days a way off, you'll need to grow a bit before I let you take to the field. Now off with the lot of you, supper should be ready and I need to speak with our resident knight."

Elaine nodded and walked off, hands brushing off the dust and wood chips of her dress. Jacob made to follow, only to turn back to Jaune a hopeful expression on his face "So Jaune, you feel up for a little sparring after we eat?"

Jaune smirked and nodded to the boy, Jacobs smile growing before he scampered off. Since Jaune had come to camp the boy had taken to begging Jaune for lessons. Jaune had little he could teach him beyond how to swing a stick, but Jacob had taken to it with all his might, challenging the older teen whenever possible. Jaune obviously won due to his age and aura, but held back enough not to hurt the younger boy. If the losses bothered Jacob it didn't seem to phase him, simply picking up his stick to challenge him again.

Jaune turned away to find Karloff staring at him, eyes narrowed in front of him. "Determined to make him into your apprentice boy? Going to take him to Kuroinu with you?"

"You know I wouldn't do that. If it bothers you, I can stop- "Jaune was cut off when Karloff laughed, waving his hand dismissively at him.

"Don't bother, my son is as hardheaded as I am and isn't going to let me telling him no stop him. Back in the village he thought he was going to be a future warrior king, so it's good to see him knocked around a bit to keep his ego in check. Besides he and his sister have been talking about joining up with the legion lately, can't do that if he's chasing you."

"Aren't they a little young for that? They're both still children." Jaune said, not liking the sound of his new friends becoming soldiers. Especially as young as he was…

"Full legionnaires are recruited at fifteen, but they can join at fourteen with their parents' permission. They wouldn't see combat for a time, but they'd receive good training and pay. Their birthday is in a few weeks, and if they ask me to join it'll be a hard choice for me to make. The chieftain and soldier in me knows it would be good for them, that it would help prepare them for the times ahead. Especially with Vault's mongrels becoming more active. That it would grant them citizenship and a guaranteed plot of land would be good for the village as well."

"And the father in you, what does he say?" Jaune asked, letting the wood axe rest on his clothed shoulder.

Karloff laughed, a small sadness hiding behind his jovial outburst. "The father in me wants to grab them both and run as far away with them as I can. Life in a legion isn't easy, it can be bloody work that takes you far from home, and once joined they own you for ten long years. Fifteen if you become an officer. But my kids are growing up, and the hardest thing a parent has to do is let them."

Jaune didn't say anything to this, couldn't really. It wasn't like he had kids to be able to relate. "So, you said you needed to speak with me?"

"Yeah, spent a little time down in the market today. Word on the grapevine is Duke Vayne is sending a representative to speak with Ivalice tonight. They should be settling on a new place for us to live when winter passes."

"Well that should be a relief for all of you. a new place to rebuild and live." Jaune said pleased with the news.

"Yeah, assuming it isn't some shithole in a swamp or on back on the border I can't complain too much. Wherever we end up we'll make it a home." Karloff said, giving the boy a contemplative look. "You know if you want it could be a home for you to. You've done a lot to help us and I know the lads would be more than happy to have you around."

"I can't." Jaune responded, his good mood deflating with the offer. "I appreciate the offer, but soon as I'm able to I need to head north."

"Off to Kuroinu you mean." Jaune nodded, Karloff in turn gaining a large frown on his face.

"You know, you wouldn't be the first person who headed north to save someone or to try and fight Vault's dogs. Since he took over heroes of all stripes and colors have made their way there, each one declaring they'd be the one to end Vault's reign. None of them have ever come back."

"I'm not an idiot Karloff. I can't simply stand by and do nothing. I'm aware of the danger." Jaune responded, a bit of anger in his voice.

"With all due respect lad, I don't think you do. You'll be fighting creatures and savages much worse than orcs up there. Not to mention a legion of rapists and bastards, and all for someone who might be dead at this point. Or perhaps something even worse. You've been good to my folks and my kids think the world of you for what you did." Karloff's frown shifted to sympathy, something Jaune found more difficult t handle. "I just don't want to see you march straight to your grave."

The anger Jaune felt melted, leaving him feeling a mix of shame and guilt. "I know that Karloff, I know what may happen, what will likely happen to me. But I have to go, my friend… she gave me a second chance and saved me from my own idiocy. I gave my word to help her and my family, we don't go back on our word."

"Keeping your word is all well and good lad, but you can't simply challenge the Kuroi- "

"Eostia." Jaune cut him off, hand tightening on the axe handle. "The kingdoms name is Eostia, no matter what those bastards might call it."

"Fine Eostia then." Karloff shot back, his own temper beginning to fray. "When, if you get to Eostia what do you plan to do? They have armies, castles and an entire nation to oppose you. Not to mention a horde of roaming beasts that'll attack on sight. Do you even have a bloody idea where your going to head first?"

"No idea. To be frank I barely know where I am now." Jaune responded honestly, because he had nothing else he could say.

"Then why are you doing this? This isn't courage boy its stupidity. You could still live a long life, start a family. If not here than anywhere but that hellhole. Why are you so eager to rush into danger?" Karloff asked in exasperation, trying to get through to the boy.

Jaune did need to be gotten through. He understood, it just didn't matter. "I made a promise Karloff. I need to do everything in my power to keep it."

"Even if it means going to your death?" Karloff asked incredulously, almost yelling the last part out in frustration.

"Even then. Tell me Karloff, if it was Elaine or Jacob being held up in Eostia, would you be doing the logical thing." Jaune responded back equally frustrated. Frustration turned to shame though as the shock spread across Karloff's face, hands gripped into white knuckled fists.

"K-Karloff I'm sorry. That was too far for me to say. I just- "Jaunes apology was cut off as the man stepped forward placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't. Don't apologize for standing for your convictions or for telling me something I don't want to hear. Especially when your right, if it was one of my kids I'd be doing everything I could to get them back. When the time comes for you to go your way, I'll support it, even if I don't agree with it. Come back to cam when you're ready to eat, don't take too long or Jacob will hunt you down."

Ending the conversation Karloff turned and walked off not waiting for a response. Jaune simply let out a frustrated sigh. Karloff wasn't wrong, Jaune didn't have anything remotely resembling a plan. With everything happening he hadn't had time to come up with one. But he also didn't have a choice, he'd seen only a glimpse of what the Black Dogs were capable of and he wouldn't stand for it. Besides he'd wanted to be a hunter since he was a child, a peaceful life wasn't in the cards right now.

With a flick of the wrist he planted the axe back into the stump, his hand wiping the sweat from across his brow. He'd done enough work for one day. It was tie for a bit of rest and leisure.

* * *

"HYAAAAGH!" Jacob yelled out as he charged forward, wooden sword swinging in an overhead chop. Jaune raised his own in turn, deflecting the blow past him before countering with a light swipe of his own. Jacob hastily raised his wood in time, arms shaking from the counter as he yelled and charged forward again.

"Don't just rush in boy, circle him instead. Force him to shift his stance." Karloff yelled out to his son from the side, sitting on a stump with a bowl of soup in his hands. As Jacob slowed and circled around Jaune turned to the side, fumbling and nearly losing the pot lid he was using in place of a shield to block an incoming stab from the side. For obvious reasons he'd left his weapons behind but had strapped his armor on in order to get more used to it. The handle was smaller than he was used to and he had to hold back to not hurt his younger opponent. "Keep your shield to your side, unless your blocking or bashing it'll help to reserve your energy."

It had been like this since they'd first arrived in Jacinda. Jacob wished to become a warrior and would challenge Jaune to a few spars after dinner. Jaune accepted, and after the first day of watching the two teens whack at each other with sticks Karloff had chosen to step in, overseeing their training. Though Jaune had the clear advantage due to his age and aura, he had about as much skill and technique with the blade as Jacob did. So Karloff set them to work, putting them through various drills and exercises. Jaune knew he'd made little to no gains in regards to physicality, but his technique had improved a bit. At the very least he had a theoretical understanding of the importance of footwork and weapon spatial awareness

As Jacob was once again tossed back the two were being watched by the camp. Outside of work, meals and sleep there wasn't much else for entertainment at the time. the kids were watching with rapt attention as the two teenagers dueled together. The adults especially those in the militia were getting some enjoyment from watching their leader yell at someone else for a change. Occasional cheers and jeers came from the gathered villagers, most in support of Jacob though a few were thrown Jaune's way as well.

The "Duel" came to its end rather predictably as Jacob eventually lost his cool, the boy overextending his final lunge as Jaune merely sidestepped and lightly lashed out with his shield. the blow was just strong enough to knock Jacob from his feet, the boy stubbornly beginning to rise before he felt the tickle of a sword tip under his chin. With a sigh he released his blade in a sign of surrender. A smile came to his face though as Jaune extended a hand to him, Jacob grasping it and being yanked.

"Knocked down again. Guess you win again."

Jaune smiled down at the boy, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be knocking me into the dirt soon enough."

"You think I could be as good as you?" Jacob asked him an awestruck look on his face.

 _Oh, if only you knew how close in skill, we both are._ Jaune thought this to himself while struggling to keep a deadpan expression from his face. To say that Jacob was better than him at his age was one thing, but knowing that without aura and age he would be struggling to win at all was humbling. "Keep working at it and I'm sure you'll be surpassing me in no time."

"Yeah if he doesn't get himself killed before then." Karloff said having walked over to the two, bowl in hand. Jacob lost his smile a bit, his eyes drifting downward. "What did I tell you specifically not to do?"

"Don't rush in without thinking?" Jacob said, not quite looking up.

"Right. Its one thing to be bold, another to be reckless. Use that thing attached to your neck for something besides thumping and maybe you'll live through your first fight." Karloff said, putting his bowl down and reaching over to take Jaune's stick from him. "You should also swing less with your shoulder. Its one thing when your chopping or blocking, but feints and stabs should use your wrist more. Like so." Karloff did a series of swings with his good arm, showing them a series of simple moves.

"Isn't an attack from the shoulder stronger?" Jacob asked, watching his father go through the motions.

"Its also slower." Karloff said finishing his drills. "Speed is often more important in a fight than strength. Most sentient creatures are rather fragile things. It only takes a few pounds of pressure to pierce a man's torso. Less if you hit him in the throat or between the ribs."

An image passed through Jaune's mind of a blade piercing flesh, blood spurting out as the life left Toady's eyes his own sword jammed through his neck. He remembered how easily Jacob had stabbed the blade in, steel splitting flesh like butter. The smell of blood leaving a strange copper smell in the air. Jaune felt his fingernails biting into his gloves. Jaune felt a hand shake his shoulder, drawing him out of his memory.

"-Lad. You still with us?" Karloff asked a bit of concern on his face.

"Y-Yeah I'm sorry. What were you saying?" Jaune asked, feeling a bit embarrassed at his lack of focus.

"Nothing important. Perhaps we should call it for the evening."

"No No, I should be good for at least one more." Jaune took the wooden blade back, kicking his shield up into his hand. Jacob grabbed his own in turn, giving it a clumsy twirl. Karloff simply sighed at the two, picking up his mostly cold soup and returning to his seat.

"Alright, but this is the last one for tonight. After that its straight to the river for bathing then bed. On my signal."

Jaune and Jacob both nodded their eyes locked on one another, waiting to begin. Karloff drained what was left of his food before reaching over and picking up a small pebble from the ground. Waiting a few seconds to roll the piece of shale between his fingers he hefted it up into the air and tossed it towards the middle of their impromptu arena.

No sooner did it hit the ground than the sound of neighing horses broke the quiet. The two teens who'd been on a knifes edge turned to see a few dozen riders in purple armor enter the camp, trotting down the road and between the tents with little regard to those inhabiting them. The refugees looked on in confusion as the riders yelled out, corralling those gathered towards the center of the camp.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL- "Karloff yelled out, rising from his seat bowl falling and breaking on the ground.

"Karloff what's going on?" Jaune asked as the man motioned his kids towards him.

"Nothing good I'd imagine. Get back to the crowd and try not to attract attention. I'll get to the bottom of this."

Jaune and Jacob made to follow only for the man to wave them off, indicating they should head with the others. They hesitated for a moment before complying, dropping their sticks and following Elaine. They were gathered together in the center of the camp, murmurs and whispers spreading through the air. One or two brave souls dared to yell out a question only to be ignored.

Jaune for himself felt nervous, especially as more than one pair of eyes turned towards him. _Try not to garner attention, how the fuck do I do that. I'm one of the few blondes here and I'm wearing armor._ Jaune felt a hand slip into his own. Looking down he saw Elaine had taken it in her own, gripping it nervously. Jaune stopped thinking about himself and gave it a light squeeze back giving the girl a reassuring smile to mask his own nervousness.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the front where Karloff was making his presence known very loudly, moving his way to the front. "Alright move aside you lot, get out of the way. I want to speak to the man in charge here."

"That would be me Chieftain Karloff. So delighted to see you in such spirits."

A rider on a chestnut charger emerged from behind the riders, a man as different from the soldiers surrounding them. The man was around average height but extremely skinny, almost emaciated looking. His head topped in curly brown hair with murky green eyes. A small mustache adorned his lips on a face that screamed pompous. Instead of armor the man was dressed in a purple and black doublet with a green cloak wrapped over his shoulders held together by a gold chain. Besides a small dagger at his hip he bore no weapons, though considering the few dozen soldiers surrounding him it was probably unnecessary.

Karloff didn't seem to mind, marching straight up the man and standing in front of the warhorse, ignoring the beast to look up at the man. "Lord Percival, you seem to be far from your estates in the south. I've never known you to come this far north. Care to explain why your scaring the shit out of my people?"

The now named Percival huffed, turning his nose upwards. "Hmm you think some time spent in this lovely city would have helped to temper your more…brusque mannerisms. Well one can always hope." his eyes moved over the crowd, lips twisting into a thin smile.

"I'm here on official business representing Duke Vayne's interests in the recent Black Dog incident. I will be discussing the placement of your people to their new village. Although considering how many of you are left…I suppose you'd be more of a hamlet now than an actual village."

Karloff's teeth ground together but he did not react to the insult. "Don't take me for being ungrateful **my lord**." His tone indicating he felt anything but. "That doesn't explain why you've marched into my camp with dozens of soldiers."

"Oh, forgive me Chieftain I seem to have forgotten myself. I understand a young knight has joined your people recently, a man named Jaune if I'm not mistaken."

"Let's say there is." Karloff said, apprehension filtering through his obvious displeasure. "What difference does that make to you?"

"Nothing much, Chieftain Karloff. Nothing much at all. I just have an official warrant for his arrest. For the crimes of espionage, sedition and murder."

* * *

 **And that wraps up chapter five. A bit shorter than the previous ones but after such a long time I wanted to get this out to let you all know I'm still working on it. Ironically its easier for me to write action chapters than ones more dialogue driven. And between the holiday rush at work and black Friday I've been busy. I will try to update more regularly but until the holidays are done, I can promise nothing.**

 **I had a few people send me questions and complaints that I felt I should address here. First was the comparison of Throgg in terms of power to a Large Beowulf or a small Ursa. Some Throgg seemed to be stronger than that and I was trying to make Jaune seem weak. To this I'd like to make to points. First, Jaune is rather weak throughout the first half of season one and only showed serious gains in power at the end of season two, when he actually killed a Grimm on his own for the first time. Second, I think people underestimate the strength of the Grimm. Yes, they might seem like cannon fodder, but that's coming from a biased view as we are watching the protagonists of the show. All of whom are fighting prodigies or seasoned huntsmen, the best of the best. This isn't taking into account that these are animals who are fighting what is essentially superhumans armed with guns and personal forcefields. And despite these seeming disadvantages the Grimm are the predominant species on remnant, a species that doesn't need to eat or sleep to fight at top strength (Strength and speed said to be superior even to most hunters) and are nearly limitless in numbers. Hunters need training, dust, aura, semblances and advanced technology just to try and kill them and if one looks at the scoreboard, they are barely surviving. And Jaune only has aura and Crocea Mors.**

 **Onto the second complaint, for the few guest authors saying I should just hurry up and get to the sex scenes, no. Not to say that there won't be sex scenes in this story, but that's not the primary thrust of this story (Ha, sex pun). I want to write an adventure story, if this isn't to your liking well, sorry.**

 **Thank you all for your patience and I'll see you at the next update. Happy holidays.**


	6. Accusations and Deliverance

**Chapter 6 is here and ready for action. No real notes to write down at the front, I'll have some posted in the end. So let's get right into the action. As usual, rated M for Kuroinu. Bold = emphasis,** _ **Italics=thoughts.**_

* * *

Accusations and Deliverance

"Nothing much, Chief Karloff. Nothing much at all. I just have an official warrant for his arrest. For the crimes of espionage, sedition and murder."

Murmurs. All around there was the sound of muffled whispers as Lord Percival's decree was issued. The soldiers sitting on their horses stared ahead while the villagers turned to each other voices whispered to each other. Jaune felt uneasy as more than one pair of questioning eyes seemed to turn towards him.

Karloff quickly drew those eyes back to him as his telltale temper flared, lips set in a thin line. "Have you gone daft Percival? Jaune's no spy, haven't you read Ivalice's report on the Black Dog attack?"

"Both Lord Vayne and I have read it. Quite the chilling read, and one that more than justifies bringing the young man in for questioning."

"What the **fuck** are you talking about?" Karloff said marching forward. The soldiers to the side of Lord Percival seemed to tense up and reach for their swords, but the pompous lord settled them with a wave of his hand. "Jaune fought with us, risked life and limb to pull my people from a grim bloody future. Without him we'd have been killed or enslaved. We owe that boy everything."

"indeed you do, and through that action he has gained both your trust and access to Jacinda, the heart of our province. Though didn't you find it at all strange?" Percival said looking down from his horse at Karloff, his expression one of amused scorn. "A young knight no one has ever heard of or seen before appears from nowhere, leads the helpless villagers in a desperate struggle and leads them to victory. Seems almost like something from a fairy tale. Its no wonder someone of your…upbringing would believe it so easily."

"And what of the Black Dogs he killed? The orc he fought in hand to hand combat? I suppose they all just chose to be slaughtered to sell his infiltration." Karloff asked crossing his arms over his chest. Murmurs of hushed whispers broke out behind them at this challenge, while more than one or two of the soldiers glanced towards each other.

If Lord Percival was fazed by this, he didn't show it, his grin simply seeming to grow a bit bigger. "Unwitting pawns perhaps in the grand scheme of things. Lead like lambs to the slaughter in order to create a heroic rescue. It would hardly be the first time Vault sacrificed his men to achieve a goal. But the duke in his wisdom has seen through this clever ploy. Given time to question the boy I'm sure the Duke will see the boy receives a fair trial."

"Of course, and I'm sure you'll give him a nice feast and a couple of whores before you hang him from the nearest tree." Karloff said spitting to the side. "I'm guessing the boy isn't going to be sent to the imperial court for trial. So is Vayne going to serve as both judge and prosecutor? Or is he going to pass the duties of to one of you **lords?**

"The administration of procedure and punishment is neither my concern nor yours Chief. If you wish you may write to the duke an inquiry of judicial procedure. I however have discussed more than what is demanded by propriety. Such is the generosity I have shown. Time for you to hand the boy over, just point him out and we can get this over with."

"Not going to happen." Karloff said with a growl in his voice. "I don't know what snake oil your trying to sell me, but I'm no bastard to sell out one who's done right by me."

"I would ask you to reconsider your position Chieftain Karloff." Percival said, a smarmy grin on his face. "This order comes directly from his grace Duke Vayne himself. To disobey it would be tantamount to treason."

"TREASON!? I'M NO BLOODY TURNCOAT!" Karloff yelled back hands clenched into fists. "I and the other chiefs have been requesting aid and protection from the Black Dogs from you bloody nobles for **months**. And even as our farmlands were being stripped bare and our people abducted all we heard was silence. So, you'll forgive me if I don't hand you over the person who saved us so you can give the mob a bloody show."

"You have tested my patience long enough today you unwashed savage. For all your claim of chieftain you're just a commoner, replaceable like so many others. You should know better than to speak back to your betters." Percival spat out, a hand gesturing to his side, his soldiers as one drawing their swords from their sheaths with a metallic scrape. The people in term huddled closer together some clinging to each other for comfort while Karloff moved back to stand with his village. "I will not be told no again. You will either hand the boy over now or all of you will be found guilty in aiding and abetting a fugitive of the law. Resist and you will be dealt with accordingly."

Jaune could only watch in horror as the people roared back at the open threat, some shaking their fists while others were trying to hide behind each other. More than one parent was comforting a crying child while the soldiers themselves had dismounted from their horses and had begun slowly marching in towards the refugees. Karloff was trying to stand bravely but he and Jaune both knew the truth. The villagers might outnumber the soldiers four to one, but they were weaponless and most incapable of fighting even if they hadn't been.

This wouldn't be a fight so much as it would be a slaughter.

Percival sat on his horse, his smug smile returning to his face. "Well have it your way then. Soldiers, adva- "

"WAIT." Jaune yelled out pushing his way to the front of the crowd. The soldiers stopped and villagers parted as he marched to the front. Karloff tried to reach over and grab him back but Jaune was to quick. He soon found himself before the irate lord, unarmored and weaponless. Jaune did his best to swallow his nervousness as hundreds of eyes and dozens of weapons pointed his way. "There is no reason to harm these people. I am Jaune Arc, I will surrender myself to your custody."

"JAUNE NO!" a voice yelled out from the crowd. Not Karloff's but Elaine's. The young girl was standing there her fists clenched in frustration. In that moment Jaune saw more of the girl's father in her than at any point in the past week. "You can't give in to them Jaune. Didn't you hear what father said? They're going to kill you."

"I know what he said. But if I do nothing he'll hurt you all and take me anyway." Jaune said as a pair of soldiers stepped forward, gauntlets taking hold of his arms and moving him to stand before the lord. "Everything will be alright Elaine."

"How touching." Jaunes attention was drawn from the girl back to the lord. "You've made the smart decision Ser Arc. It always falls to nobles such as ourselves to keep the peace through rational thinking."

"Hard to agree with that when said peace is being enforced with the tip of a sword." Jaune said as the two soldiers slapped a thin pair of manacles to his arms and began to tug him towards their horses. "And I'm no noble or ser, just another unwashed savage."

"Really?" Percival asked, his sarcastic tone showing where his beliefs on that statement laid. "I suppose the interrogators will get to the truth of the matter, one way or another. Oh, and before I forget guards, detain Chief Karloff and his family."

"WHAT?!" Jaune said turning back from where the guards had been leading him away. Armored hands sought to pull him back but found the teen quite immovable. "You said that if I surrendered myself you would leave them alone."

"When did I say that?" Percival said grinning like a wolf near a wounded sheep. "All I said was that all would be found guilty if you were not produced. I never said that some of them wouldn't be charged. Mainly those who have provided you with food and shelter."

"YOU POMPOUS POWDERED SON OF A WHORE! YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY KIDS!" Karloff yelled out as soldiers grabbed him and began dragging him from the crowd. The man struggled for a moment before a gauntlet clad fist buried itself in his stomach, sending the wind out of him in a loud gust. A few others detached themselves and began making their way towards Jacob and Elaine, both of whom seemed frozen in spot. The closest one reached out to grab the kids by there arms, the cold metal of their hands digging into their skin. Elaine cried out as the man twisted her arm.

Jaune had seen enough, the rational part of his brain giving way to cold anger. With a yell Jaune ripped himself from his guard's grip, his shirt giving away as he broke free and rushed forward. Elaine's captor had enough time to turn around before Jaune landed a kick on the back of the man's leg. Jaune only meant to make the man fall to his knees and let go of the kids. A normal kick would have done just that.

But Jaune in his anger forgot that he had aura and his opponent did not. So instead of merely knocking him over, the kick twisted the man's leg and snapped it to the side. The guard fell shrieking as he clutched at his mangled leg, the bone sticking out through both skin and leather.

Jaune stared almost mutely at the damage he inflicted before he turned his head at a voice yelling out over the screaming man. "TAKE HIM, TAKE HIM DOWN NOW." Percival yelled out from atop his horse, a whiny rage in his voice. The men holding Karloff dropped him and drew their swords, charging the young teen.

Whatever advantage the soldiers may have had in terms of weapons, it was clear Percival had scrimped on their training. The two bumped into each other as they swung in at Jaune as the crowd of villagers fell over each other to get out of the way. Jaune stepped to the side of the clumsy attack quickly running back in with his shoulder lowered, aura pumping into his leg. The shoulder charge smashed the men into each other knocking the two to the ground. One was knocked out immediately while the other stumbled to his feet stabbing forward in a clumsy manner. Jaune again side stepped the attack and in a moment of rare dexterity grabbed the man's wrist snapping it with a twist of his hand. The man didn't have time to scream before jaune caught the falling blade and used the handle to bop the man on the forehead sending him to dream land.

With a quick droop Jaune bent over and removed the other sword from the ground and moving over to Karloff as the other soldiers pointed their spears at the group. None seemed too eager to rush in after seeing a few of their compatriots thrashed and disarmed.

Percival seethed from where he was sitting, his hand gripping the dagger at his hip in a tight manner "You. What the hell do you think you are doing? You said you'd surrender."

"I did." Jaune responded back as he helped Karloff to his feet, passing him one of the blades in his hand. "But only with the understanding that you'd leave these people alone. Since you have no intention of following that I'm afraid I can't either."

"You really think you can resist? Your outnumbered two dozen to one and still shackled." Percival said regaining some of his bravado.

That was quickly lost as Jaune looked down at his wrists and shrugged before ripping his wrists in opposite directions, the comparatively weak metal snapping in two. Chain links fell before him and more than one of the watching soldiers took a step backwards. Jaune removed the manacles one by one, rubbing his wrists with his free hand. _Whatever metal they use here must be really weak. Or maybe aura is just this awesome._

"Well I'm no longer shackled. I suppose that evens things out a bit." Jaune said holding the taken blade to the side.

"You…it doesn't change anything. Your still outnumbered, I'm STILL IN COMMAND!" Percival yelled out hands shaking on the reins to the detriment of his poor horse.

"For the moment." Jaune agreed, shrugging as if to show how little that mattered. Though inside he was doing all he could not to panic. "and a moment ago I was your unarmed prisoner and you had three more men at your disposal. Things can change and rather quickly."

"You think you can fight your way out. And maybe your right." Percival said with a sneer on his face. "But what about the others? They're just a bunch of helpless peasants. Continue resisting and they will pay the price."

Jaune didn't respond for a moment and to those gathered there it seemed like hesitation. When he began to walk forward those behind him called out not to go, but Karloff silenced them with one shaking hand. To the chieftain this was the second time Jaune had stood up for them, now was not the time to doubt him.

To his relief Jaune didn't surrender himself, but to his confusion he instead walked to the end of the soldier's line. Ignoring the weapons aimed to pierce his flesh he stabbed the tip of his blade into the ground and began walking, dragging the blade through the dirt. He kept his eyes straight forward as he marched, the blade digging through dirt with a loud crunch as eyes followed movement. Eventually he reached the other side, yanking the sword out and wiping the dirt from the blade as he walked back in front of the villagers.

"Soldiers of the Frostlings. I know you may feel conflicted in your those of your lord, to whom your sworn to or to the commoners of your land. Allow me to make things easier for you." Jaune paused for a moment of suspense before sweeping his arms behind him. "These people are your people. They're your neighbors, your friends the people who trained and raised you. You may not have grown up with them but they are your countrymen who know your burdens and shares your pain. When the Black Dogs came for them they stood together, outnumbered and facing certain death. And they prevailed."

Jaune pointed his borrowed sword at Percival, drawing the soldier's eyes to the noble. Unknowing behind him many of those who had been crouching fearfully were standing taller. A few had begun reaching out and grabbing anything they could in front of them. Shovels, pans even a few thin logs from near the fire places. "That man, that **lord** is asking you to turn on your countrymen who lost their homes and family members. To act like the Black Dogs they put down not a week ago. And to do so for a man who won't shed a tear for any of you."

Jaune stopped talking for a second as he felt a tug on his arm. Looking behind him was Jacob, the young teen huffing and breathing heavily with Crocea Mors in his arms. Jaune smiled and reached out taking his blade in hand and giving the borrowed one in return.

He turned back to the soldiers theatrically holding the weapon to his side before flicking the switch causing his shield to deploy and drawing the fine blade with a loud scrape. The mecha shifting shield startled everyone there never having seen such a thing. "So let me make one thing clear. You stay on your side of the line you are our brothers, our friends and neighbors. Cross it and this will be your last day."

" **Enough**." Percival who up until this moment had been silent finally snapped, the tone in his voice resembling barely controlled rage. "Enough of your little theatrics, enough of your rebellion. You will submit to my custody now. Soldiers, take the whole lot of them prisoner."

The soldiers as a whole seemed to shuffle a bit, but no one stepped forward. More than one of them eyed the line that had been dragged through the dirt. Or towards their unconscious comrades lying in the dirt.

This only proved to push the lord further as what small patience he had snapped. "YOU INCOMPETENT WORTHLESS VERMIN WHAT THE HELL AM I PAYING YOU FOR? TO LISTEN TO THE EMPTY THREAT OF SOME NOBODY? DO AS I COMMAND OR YOUR FAMILIES WILL SUFFER AND STARVE!" Percival screamed at his soldiers, any nobility or grace slipping away.

It was unknown in that moment what the soldiers would have done in that moment, whether or not they would have obeyed or disobeyed. Cause in that moment a voice broke through the lord's rant and silenced him in a manner that had Karloff grinning.

"Would you mind repeating what you just yelled lord Percival? Something about causing the pain and suffering of innocent people."

Percivals face lost all color as his head turned towards where the voice had come from, the heads of everyone moving to follow. They'd been so focused on each other the two groups hadn't noticed the fifty or so legionnaires that had made their way into the campsite. The men marched through the villagers coming to form a line between the villagers and soldiers, leaving Jaune in the middle.

And leading them from the front was one Karia Ivalice, her uniform pressed and clean only being outshone by the fury on her face.

* * *

"I would like you to repeat what you said Lord Percival. I am getting on in years and my hearing isn't quite what it used to be." Ivalice said, her amber eyes smoldering with fury to match the clipped tone she was speaking in.

"Co-Commander Ivalice." Percival squeaked out, the man slightly shaking in fear. The dagger he'd been waving around had mysteriously found its way to its sheath. "I-I did not expect to see you here."

"You didn't expect to see me in a camp under the legions protection? I don't spend all my time in my office you know. When one of the camp guards came running into the barracks yelling that unknown riders had shown up to the camp unannounced, I was quite surprised." The commander said with a droll coming to stop next to Jaune. The teen looked over to the woman but she pointedly ignored him, eyes zeroed in on the nervous noble. "One might interpret that as you were trying to avoid me."

Jaune didn't think it was possible for a man to lose more blood from one's face, but Percival once again surprised him. The man sputtered out a few ineligible denials before regaining his speech. "Oh… of course not commander. I would never seek to avoid an agent of the Empire."

"That is good to know, loyalty is a quality held in high regard at the imperial court." Ivalice said as a thin smile stretched the scars on her face, making her seem like she was grimacing. "So, I assume in that same regards you weren't attempting to use your men to intimidate and persecute citizens of the empire? Especially not civilians under my direct protection? Cause such an action would of course require a harsh punishment."

"N-NO MAM. I mean commander" Percival cleared his throat as he realized his Faux Pas. "I was sent here to detain one Jaune Arc under the orders of Duke Vain, for suspicion of being a spy. I was also to question those who gave succor to the accused when the suspect broke free of his restraints and injured three of my men without cause. Then he threatened to cause a riot and kill us all."

Jaune opened his mouth to protest the claim only for those behind him beat him to it. The villagers screamed at the lords lies, shaking their fists and whatever else they had in hand. Some men threw more than just words, a few stones and smaller things falling short of the other side.

"BE QUITE!" Ivalice screamed as she whirled out behind her, her outburst shutting the villagers up in a prompt manner. She took a moment to adjust her uniform before turning back to the waiting lord. "Apologies Lord Percival, but it seems the villagers behind me seem to disagree with your version of events. May I see the official order from Duke Vayne?"

One of the legionnaires laid down his sword and shield and marched over to the sniveling lord, hand outstretched. Percival wasted no time in handing over the scroll. The legionnaire gave the most minor of bows before marching back to Ivalice, handing the scroll off and resuming his place in formation. Ivalice opened it and read it for a short while before her eyes widened at one line. A small smile appeared on her face before quickly disappearing. A smile that did not go unnoticed by either Jaune or Percival.

"Lord Percival if I may ask, was this order written in response to the recent incursion by the Black Dogs?"

The Lord nodded stiffly, an uncertain expression on his face. Karia nodded her head in return rolling the scroll up in her hands. "Then that settles it. This investigation, and any involved within it falls under the legion's jurisdiction. Not yours."

"WHAT? THAT IS PREPOUSTEROUS!" Percival screamed out before regaining his composure as more than one legionnaire spear began point itself lower. "In what way does the legion have jurisdiction? That village lies within my lands. Within my control. The legions job is to protect the realm not to govern them."

"You're not technically wrong." Ivalice said placing the scroll within her belt loop. "Typically, the legion only serves as an extension of the emperors will, we do not normally interfere in the investigations or politics of a province. And had your soldiers done a proper job of defending the villages under your care this matter would be yours to resolve. However, as the legion was forced to leave the garrison and come to the aid of one of **your** villages, an official imperial inquiry is now required. Both about the incident itself as well as the circumstances which allowed this to happen in the first place. And we **will** get to the bottom of this tragedy, that I can assure you of my lord."

Ivalice turned away from the shell-shocked lord to address Jaune. "Mr. Arc, as part of this inquiry I will require you and Chieftain Karloff to submit to my custody. Will you do so willingly?"

 _As opposed to the opposite? I will do anything to stay off your bad side._ Jaune simply nodded and sheathed his blade handing it off to a waiting legionnaire. Across the way he could see Karloff and Jacob hand over their blades as well as soldiers from both sides put there weapons away as the tension bleed away. Ivalice nodded before turning to one of her men. "Escort the detained to my office. We will begin our investigation there."

Well, almost bled away. "You will not get away with this Ivalice. I will report this to Duke Vayne, he will write to the imperial court." Percival said out as his face turned red from barely controlled fury. Jaune could only look in awe at the man's idiocy. _Does he not know when to stop digging the hole deeper?_ Ivalice turned to him, a vengeful gleam in her eye.

"That is well within his rights to do so. I look forward to reading his complaints at the capital."

"The Capital?" Percival blurted out as his last gambit fell through.

Ivalice nodded doing a better job than Jaune could to keep her face passive. "Indeed, the emperor has requested my presence to update him on the recent raiding from Kuroinu. I have also been tasked to bring any and all relevant witnesses to testify if necessary. The experiences of these villagers will prove integral to swaying those at the court to take the Kuroinu threat seriously and will help relieve resources needed to house them for the winter. So, with that in mind…I will be requisitioning your horses to help pull carts and carry refugees to the port city of Iceholme."

"Bu-But we need those horses. Without them we won't be able to transport the wounded, and it'll take days to walk to Castle Malboro!" Percival protested as his soldiers grumbled.

"Your wounded will be tended to by the legionnaire medics and returned to you once they have properly healed for the journey. As for your journey…I'd recommend you purchase some supplies and a wagon for the road. And some blankets, it can get cold this time of year. Good day lord Percival."

With that Ivalice turned on her heels and strode away, gesturing for Karloff and Jaune to follow her. Lord Percival fumed but could do little else as he and his men were forced to dismount and their horses lead away. Jaune couldn't see from behind, but from how she was walking Jaune would bet what little money he had she was grinning.

* * *

Ivalice's office was spartan and immaculate, not a paper or a piece of furniture out of place. Her desk was a deep dark brown, the emblem of the eagle on her uniform engraved in the front of her desk. Charts and maps were spread on the wall next to a shelf full of hardback books. The image of the place gave of the impression of a business office back in Jaune's world.

Jaune and Karloff were led into the tidy little room, each being loosely held between a pair of legionnaires. As the two stood at attention Ivalice entered behind them placing Jaune's weapon down on the surface of the desk. With a dismissive wave of her hand the men released the two men and exited out of the door closing it and taking up position outside it.

"Please have a seat gentleman. I'll fix us some tea." Jaune and Karloff exchanged glances for a moment before taking their seats. Well Karloff did, Jaune more slumped into his as the adrenaline gained from his most recent brush with death wore off, hand coming up to try and rub away the ensuing headache. Jaune thought back to the bravado he had faked into the courtyard and it reminded him of how he'd acted back in the village. Pretending to know what he was doing was exhausting and putting up such a brave façade was even worse. He could still see the bone sticking out of the leg of the man who was just doing his job.

The clinking of glass brought his attention back to the present as Ivalice placed a trio of cups on the table. Holding a small pot, she poured a steaming liquid into each cup, the liquid a light brownish green. Finally, she took her own seat across from them, cup in hand. Jaune with a thirst he didn't know took a sip of the drink. It had a bit of a bitterness to it, but overall it wasn't unpleasant.

"Sorry if it's a bit strong, I tend to drink my tea without anything added. Helps to enrich the flavor. If you like I could call for some milk or cream?" Ivalice asked taking a sip of her own.

"It tastes fine, thank you for the offer." Jaune said holding the cup in both hands. "And thank you for your help. I thought things were going to go badly."

"They nearly did. I think those bastards might have broke a rib." Karloff said, draining most of his tea in one go.

Ivalice simply snorted, taking another sip from her drink. "I doubt you'd be walking if that was the case, though I'll have the medics look you over later. As to Lord Percival think nothing of it. Men like him believe themselves to be better than everyone for something as simple as their birth. Its important to remind the nobles every now and then of their place in the world."

"Still this will create a bit of a problem for the both of us. Once the esteemed lord runs back to the Duke with his tail between his legs, they'll no doubt send a petition to accuse me of overstepping my authority."

"Why would that matter? You're the legionary commander, won't the emperor simply ignore them?" Jaune asked as the warmth from his cup began cooling.

"Not that simple lad." Karloff answered from his side as he downed the last of his drink. He cleared his throat before continuing. "The legion as Ivalice said earlier is only meant to deal with military matters under normal circumstances. Unless the legion is forced to be involved, they don't interfere, even when it would be good for them to. This is done in part to reassure the nobles that their authority won't be taken away, but its also necessary to prevent an internal uprising against the emperor from ambitious generals. If I recall correctly, that's how the current emperors father took power."

'He's not wrong." Ivalice sighed placing her cup down on the desk. "It's not just usurpation the emperor fears however, it's also instability. Wars and other conflicts have drained the region of much of its manpower and this region is the newest of the empire's holdings. The emperors grip on the region is not as strong as it should be and a united uprising could lose us the region. If he is convinced that I am in part weakening his hold here he will have me removed and a new commander put into place."

"I'm sorry." Jaune said feeling guilt as the enormity of his actions came to light. Ivalice hadn't merely risked the anger of the local lords in helping him, she had potentially gained the emperors disfavor in doing so. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yes. I suppose you can start by telling me the truth. About who you really are. Now don't get me wrong." Ivalice raised her hand up to forestall any protests from the two men. "I'm not accusing you of being one of Vaults men. You've shown no indications of treachery or deceit, and by all accounts you seem to care for the people you risked your life for."

"Then why do you think I'm lying?" Jaune asked feeling the hairs on his neck beginning to standup.

"Because you don't make sense." Ivalice said drawing a confused look from the two. "I've sent my men to discretely speak with your people and while their accounts vary person to person, the general story is the same. A knight no one has ever seen or heard from appears at their darkest moment, fights his way through men and monsters alone to lead the village to victory against impossible odds. Moves and fights with a strength beyond that of men wielding a blade fit for a king, and a sheild that can turn into a sheathe without magic. And most unusual of all, protected from blow after blow that would have killed lesser men. Blades and arrows simply bouncing away like sticks against a wall."

Ivalice squared her shoulders and turned her gaze directly on Jaune, her back casting a shadow against the setting sun behind them. "I believe in your good intentions, but I can't help you if you don't trust me. I need to know why you are here, and why you are so desperate to go north."

Jaune looked down and sat in silence for a moment as he mulled over Ivalice's words. He felt a little bit lost in the moment as the two leaders looked at him expectantly. What Ivalice was asking for him was completely reasonable, she had just saved not only himself but Karloff and his family as well. At no small risk to herself either she perhaps as much as the other man in the room deserved to be told the truth.

 _But that truth is in itself crazy._ Jaune thought to himself as the silence began to stretch by, only by seconds but feeling like hours. _If I tell them I'm from another world I have no way to prove it. They'd think I'm lying or insane and I can't just lie. If I get caught out its more than just me that might suffer for it._

Nervous and frustrated Jaune reached over to subtly scratch the back of his hand when he felt a pulse go through him. He felt a warmth emanating from under his glove, one which calmed him considerably. For the briefest of moments jaune felt the touch of a hand softer than velvet on his shoulder and the smell of strawberries in the air. At once the answer became clear. He would tell the truth.

It just wouldn't be the whole truth.

"Do you remember the story I told you earlier? How I had come to save a friend in Kuroinu? I didn't lie about that, but I did leave out a few details." Jaune said placing the cup down on the desk. "When I was younger, I made a rather foolish decision. One born from arrogance and a need to prove myself both to others and myself. I'll spare you the details but safe to say that choice nearly cost me my life. I was moments from death when a stranger saved me. She was kind and wise and carried a burden far too heavy to bear alone."

Jaune paused for a moment reaching over to his glove to begin undoing the straps of his glove. "She never asked me for money or obedience, never told me that I owed her. Instead she asked me to come to these lands so far from my own for one purpose. To try and save her people from a terrible evil. One which even now threatens your lands and people. To prove my sincerity, she gave me this mark, to show to those who might help me."

With a final snap Jaunes glove was pulled away, revealing the mark to both adults. Jaune had looked at it a few times in the past week and though it had glowed then now it shone. The candle of the symbol seemed to bathe the room in a golden glow. Karloff and Ivalice stared at the mark like a deer in headlights. Outside of this circumstances Jaune would have found their expressions funny.

"Oh gods." Karloff nearly whispered eyes drawn to Jaunes hand. "Your no knight, you're a thrice damned god touched."

"A god touched?" Jaune asked, failing to keep the confusion out of his voice.

"Yes Mr.-I mean Jaune a god touched." Ivalice chimed in, holding a hand up to block the light. Jaune quickly put his glove back on causing the near blinding light to fade away. "A chosen individual given the blessing and mark of a divine being. Throughout the ages champions of light and dark have been granted these as a sign of their gods favor. Legends say that four hundred years ago the first man to found our nation and become the first emperor was a god touched. That one in particular is the mark of Celestine Lucullus, am I right?"

"You know her mark?" Jaune asked, immediately feeling like an idiot for asking so obvious a question.

"Of course I know it. Being our next-door neighbor, I was properly instructed on all of the important figures of Eostia." Ivalice stood from her chair running a hand through her hair and staring out the window. "I even met her about a decade ago, to discuss a few border issues. I didn't really believe her to be a goddess at the time, simply a beautiful and intelligent elf playing to the role. I kind of feel foolish now for doubting her."

Ivalice turned back to Jaune a much softer expression on her face "I suppose I feel bit foolish now as well. Your mark more than proves your innocence, and would explain many of the circumstances revolving around your actions. I hope you can forgive my suspicions."

Jaune felt a little embarrassed by the attention given. In part because the mark did **very** little to explain how he could take a club to the head and not have his brains splattered on the floor. He scratched the back of his head giving a nervous laugh. "Don't be I can understand why you'd have felt that way. I…suppose I can even understand the Dukes view on things as well."

The warmth from Ivalice's face evaporated as she took her seat once again. "I wouldn't be so quick to forgive. I saw the arrest order Percival held and the evidence for it was scant at best. And hardly one the Duke would normally issue for charges so severe. No man of the Black Dog's would risk his life to save a village. Nor would he surrender himself to what was most likely an execution for their sakes. Vayne is not stupid, a read of my report should have informed him of that."

"Odd timing that little stunt of theirs." Karloff said crossing his arms with a scowl. "We manage to hold off an attack by the Black Dogs, and a week later the local nobles try to haul off all involved in chains? In the middle of the city where hundreds would have seen them?"

"It does seem to be quite the coincidence." Ivalice confirmed with a nod of her head. "It was also suspicious in the manner they attempted to seize you. Hoping to do so before I or the legion would notice. Which is why I didn't want you to disappear before the emperor had a chance to speak with you."

It took a moment for Jaune to get what they were driving at. When it hit him though it left a pit in his stomach. "You both don't think It's just a coincidence, do you?" Jaune said leaning in a bit closer. "You think they're working with Kuroinu."

Karloff shrugged, though the doubt on his face was clear to see. "It would explain why they've taken no action against the raids. Those bastards are literally stealing their profits and people and they're just sitting on their asses doing nothing. Course we can't count out this simply being noble incompetence either. As long as they collect what they feel is due to them a lot of nobles could give a rats ass about our wellbeing."

"Indeed." Ivalice said drawing Jaunes attention back to her. "When Eostia's city states fell a number of the nobles joined the traitors ranks, betraying those they swore loyalty to. Vault seems to have a talent for turning men against each other and I wouldn't be surprised if he was trying that here. It's also however quite possible that arresting you and the others was simply an attempt to save face before the imperial court. It wouldn't be the first time an innocent was left to take the blame."

"Likely the way they'll try to spin it to if they get summoned to court. Incompetence would simply result in penalties, treason would leave them one head shorter. And showing that mark won't prove their intentions one way or the other." Karloff sighed leaning back in his chair. "What a fucking mess."

"Yes. Which is why we are not bringing Jaune to court."

"WHAT!?" Karloff said sitting up from his seat. "You can't mean to leave the lad here. Without you those bastards would have him butchered."

"I can't take him to the capital either. The imperial court is at the best of times a den of vipers. Being a god touched Jaune could be seen as a piece to be used by those who play at politics. The emperor wouldn't have proper time to plan or prepare for such an extreme contingency. Or if the Duke and his cronies are in league with the Black Dogs it would be an excellent place to eliminate him."

"No." Karloff said with a growl in his voice. "Those scum wouldn't dare to touch him at the court."

"Not openly perhaps." Ivalice conceded the point with a polite nod of her head. "But there are subtler ways it could be arranged. A drop of poison in his cup or a knife in his back while he slept would be just a few ways they could do the deed. And if successful the effects could be catastrophic. The first known god-touched in a century is brought before the emperor and is then assassinated under his watch? It would call his legitimacy into question and give influence to his detractors."

"Yeah I could see that being a problem. Not to mention the whole me dying thing." Jaune snarked bringing the adults back to him. "So, if I can't stay here and I can't come with you, then what's the plan?"

"The plan?" Ivalice smirked for the first time since entering the office while Karloff simply groaned in realization. "The plan is what you wanted. To allow you to continue your journey north."

"Are you serious?" Jaune said, feeling excitement for the first time in a week. "Your going to help me?"

"Yeah, your going to help him?" Karloff asked from his seat, hands gripping the wooden armrests. "I understand the capital is a risk, but don't you need him there to counteract the accusations the duke will be sending your way?"

"If he was still detained as a prisoner than absolutely. However, if I recruit him as an agent of the emperor, that would serve to sway any uncertainties surrounding him."

"An agent?" Jaune asked looking to the two for clarification. Karloff simply laughed, a sound that came out far more bitter than normal. "She means a spy Jaune. a bloody window peeper."

"A bit of a crude term for it but yes Jaune. I would need you to be my eyes in Kuroinu." Ivalice said standing up and walking over to one of the maps on the wall. "You see legion commanders are more than simple battle leaders. We also serve as spymasters for the emperor keeping an eye on both our provinces and any nations which border us. A commander is expected to keep a small network of spies and agents working to feed information back to the court in order for them to make proper military and diplomatic decisions."

"However." Ivalice spoke gesturing to the map which Jaune now realized was Eostia. "When the Black Dogs took over most of my agents were silenced. Either killed, turned or enslaved. Not surprising since most of them were centered around the cities. Gaining new ones has nearly been impossible. I can't send any females, they'd be defiled in a week. And I can't risk any of my male agents either. If they were turned or coerced into giving up any information it could compromise security in the region."

"Which leads back to you lad." Karloff said giving him a bitter grin. "You're a powerful male asset who if and when you most likely get caught won't have any information that could be tortured out of you. Don't you feel lucky?"

"Yeah well, I've been feeling lucky ever since I first got here." Jaune shot back, stomach twisting a bit when he saw the mans face flash with guilt. "So, what exactly do you need me to do?"

Ivalice turned and pointed to a region of the map, a red x placed in the southernmost part of the map. "The town those raiders came from, a small one named Carnstein. One of my last remaining spies has reported a number of unusual activities going on there. That combined with their recent actions show they are preparing for something important, though what we don't know."

"I've visited that town in the past, back when its former rulers were still in control." Karloff said rising up and joining Ivalice at the map. "It was more of a military outpost than a town. Place had a proper wall and a decent amount of guards. Assuming the Black Dogs haven't screwed that place over it'll be a hard place to infiltrate."

"Not necessarily." Jaune said, unwilling to let his first chance to get back on the road squandered. "They just lost a lot of manpower in their attack, I doubt they'll be able to recruit back up to normal levels in such a short time. And the previous guards would have been better disciplined if my previous encounter showed anything. I could slip in."

"You could. Between their lack of manpower and our assistance you might just make it. And if things go wrong you might actually be able to fight your way out. Only if that's what you want though. I wont force you into this, but this would be beneficial for all intended parties." Ivalice said turning to the teen, ignoring Karloff's snort. "Well Jaune, what do you say?"

Jaune to his credit didn't hesitate. "I'm in. when do I leave?"

"Past midnight tonight would be for the best. Before anyone notices your missing. Are you able to ride a horse?"

"Yeah I rode them back at my family's home. This shouldn't be to different to that." Jaune said feeling a bit less confident about the answer than he meant.

If his nervousness showed neither one of the adults showed it. Karloff for his part simply walked out of the room grumbling while Ivalice moved over to her desk. "Excellent in that case I'll have my men ready everything for tonight. You'll be given a horse, supplies and a map. Everything you'll need for the journey. Oh, you'll need this as well."

Reaching into the desk she pulled a small bag out from one of the drawers and tossed it to him. Upon opening it jaune found a mixture of gold, silver and bronze coins mixed in. taking a silver out he saw it stamped on two sides, one bearing the head of a dog, the other the face of an unknown man.

"Kuroinu currency. Freshly printed and removed from those dealt with at the village. Ugly things but you'll need them for entry over the border. You'll find one coin in there though that doesn't belong with the others, an out of use brass imperial coin. When you get close to Carnstein head to the farming hamlet of Two Rivers. Seek out a man by the name of Dietrich and give him that coin, he'll provide you with further assistance. In the meantime, my men will escort you to a room to eat and rest until preparations are made for your departure." Ivalice said calling out to the men outside her door. She lifted Croce Mors from the table and returning it to him

Jaune turned to follow the men out, but stopped and turned back. "Ivalice. Thank you again for everything."

Ivalice simply nodded, her face returned to its stern expression. "If you want to thank me, get me that information. The empire needs it." Jaune nodded in return and exited out, a spring in his step he hadn't felt since first arriving here.

* * *

When Jaune reached his room he didn't bother eating as the need for sleep made itself known. It couldn't have been more than a few hours before a rough hand shook him awake. Opening his blurry eyes instead of the legionnaire he was expecting he found Karloff standing over him.

"Its time lad. Got your armor and everything all set. Get dressed and follow me." Karloff didn't wait for him to respond, instead opting to exit out the room. Jaune to tired to call out or deal with it on an emotional level simply lugged himself up and pulled on his gear. Someone had clearly taken a hammer to his armor; the dings and scratches having been smoothed out and repaired. Strapping his weapon to one of his belts he stepped out of into the hallway.

Karloff grunted, pushing himself off from the wall he'd been leaning on and walking off. Jaune moving to follow him. They didn't go back out the barracks but rather descended further down into the building, Karloff grabbing a torch from the wall as he walked. Entering what must have been a supply basement Jaune was led to a set of large mead kegs sitting against the wall.

 _Are we going to have a drink?_ Jaune thought in confusion before Karloff pulled on the spigot of one of the barrels, the action creating a clinking sound. The teens mouth fell open as the barrels front pulled away revealing a hidden passage way beneath the barracks.

"What are you gawking at boy? Never seen a hidden entrance before? This torch isn't going to burn forever."

Jaune closed his Jaw and made to follow him. The tunnel stretched on for a while, cobbled stones giving away to a smooth tunnel system. At some points throughout their silent march noises made their way down from the buildings above, from laughter to yelling to the occasional creaking of the rafters holding up the stone. The last one made Jaune nervous as hell, but Karloff seemed to be fine with it.

After what must have been at least a half hour the two found themselves exiting a hidden door just outside one of the side gates. The first thing the two saw were a couple legionnaire spears pointed their way, but those relaxed upon being recognized. The next thing Jaune saw was a medium sized chestnut destrier tied up to a nearby small tree. The warhorse was saddled and looked freshly groomed, various pouches and bags held on its side. The horse let out a few grumbles but otherwise seemed content to be munching on the grass.

The final and most surprising thing Jaune saw wasn't something he saw at all first. A pair of small objects seemed to slam into his midriff knocking the boy to the ground. Jaune looked down to see Elaine and Jacob both gripping onto him, their arms wrapped around his torso let steel girders.

He looked over to Karloff for answers, only to find him and the legionnaires laughing their asses off. "I told you my kids would knock this would be knight on his ass. Drinks are on you pricks tomorrow."

The legionnaires seemed to accept this without complaint moving back to the tunnel, while Karloff walked over to the mortified teen. "What, did you really think they were going to let you leave without saying goodbye."

"I thought you might not let them. I know you don't approve of what I'm doing." Jaune said as the father pulled his kids off him, helping all three back to their feet.

"Your right, I don't approve and I'd rather you didn't do this. But I also understand why your doing this and I said I'd do what I could to help you. So here, take this." Karloff held out a small item wrapped in a red cloth. Jaune took the item and after a moment of hesitation moved to unwrap it.

Within the cloth lay a dagger, a deer bone handle inside of a simple leather sheath. Jaune gingerly took the handle and pulled the blade out, the metal shining in the torchlight. The blade was about seven inches long, with a small curve and hook on the end making it ideal for slicing and gouging. The blade was a simple designed but clearly well forged.

"That daggers been in my family since my great grandmother pulled it off the corpse of some enemy clansman she killed sixty years ago. Its been used for both hunting and fighting in our family ever since, and if some prick decides to try and get within the reach of that hacker of yours, that'll make him regret it really quick."

Jaune was stunned to be holding the dagger in hand. In terms of monetary value, it obviously wasn't worth much, but both the history and ceremony of the blade was huge. Jaune understood the significance of being given this blade in this manner. It was a tradition that had been practiced within his own family since the Arc name was founded.

It was a tradition his father had never deemed him worthy to participate in.

"Karloff I'm…I'm honored that you would give this to me." Jaune said sheathing the blade. "B-But I can't accept this, this should go to your son."

"I intend to one day. That all depends on you." Karloff said with a small smile on his face. "This isn't a gift it's a loan. When you come back I expect you to put this blade into my hand."

Jaune had no words to say, not trusting himself to break down he simply nodded and slid the knife into his belt. Elaine came forward next, the small girl wrapping her arms around him again. "Be safe out there Jaune. Try not to run headfirst into danger."

Jaune simply laughed, putting one arm around the girl and ruffling her hair. "I'll try not to be to much of an idiot, but I can't promise anything." Elaine simply laughed at that, small tears held back as she stepped back to her dad.

All that left was Jacob. Jaune didn't know quite what to say in the moment when Jacob beat him to it. Pointing at him with a smile he made his declaration. "You better not slack off on your journey. I'll be training every day and when you come back I'm going to beat you." The boy held out a fist a determined look on his face.

Jaune simply smiled and held out his own in return giving it a slight punch. "I'm looking forward to it."

With nothing else to say Karloff and his family joined the legionnaires yelling out a last few goodbyes before the hidden entrance slammed shut, leaving no trace of it behind. Doing all that he could not to let the few tears escape Jaune simply chuckled and walked over to the tree. Being careful not to startle it he loaded the remaining few items onto it before untying the beast. Climbing up a bit clumsily he git into the saddle and pulled on the reigns, moving the horse off the side and onto the road.

Then with a click of his heels he moved the horse into motion, and set out alone under the pale moon light.

* * *

 **And chapter six is in the books. Well be saying adieu to a lot of the OC's that we've come to know and like for now.** **Though this may not be the last time we run into them. It won't be long before the canon characters start to make an appearance. Happy belated New Years by the way. Apologies for the delay, but the holidays were insane. Now that they are over though we should hopefully be back on schedule. This chapter was also the second longest one I've written, finishing out at 15 ½ pages in length. I thought about chopping them up but this flowed better in my opinion.**

 **Well Ivalice pulled through for Jaune in the end, and Jaune if not having a plan at least has the beginning of one. That does mean though he will be crossing the Rubicon soon and leaving semi friendly territory. See you sometime next week to see how that goes, have a good week.**


	7. A taste of things to come

**Chapter 7 is set and ready to go. So about the seeing you in a week thing, that didn't happen. From now on I'm just going to try updating this whenever the opportunity comes up. I wanted to thank my readers for all the support I've received for this story. This has easily gotten the most follows of any story I've ever gotten, over 300 to date. I hope to keep this story interesting. Rated M for Kuroinu, Bold=Emphasis and** _ **Italics= thoughts.**_

A taste of things to come

Jacinda had been a cold and somewhat barren land, the majority of it covered in farmland and rolling hills, with forests of pine and oak dotting the landscape. The cold of late fall was passing through these lands heralding the winter soon to come. As Jaune and his steed had made their way north however the cold had begun to give way to a gentle warmth, the barren lands soon turning to lush forests and plains. The land peaceful in spite of the conflicts and plots that mortals played upon its surface. The condition of the road also began to change as well, those outside of Jacinda had been well maintained allowing for a relatively easy journey jaune passing many a merchant and traveler heading from village to village. But the farther he got from Jacinda the worse the road became and the less travelers he'd come across. Upon entering the woods that bordered Eostia and the Frostlings he'd stopped seeing anyone at all.

Solitude is an odd thing. On the surface it doesn't seem so bad. It can often in fact be a blessing to have. When the world is too much and the weight on your shoulders to great to bear a little time alone can work wonders. To let the stresses of your life slip away and to meditate on the great mysteries of life. To become more in touch with ones own true nature and its relation to that of the universe. So, a time to one's self can be amazing.

But when that solitude is forced, or when it is unwanted it can take on a different nature. With no other people and no distractions to keep one busy one's mind can lead to darker places. Places one doesn't want to go. Jaune had tried to distract himself from these places. Between sleeping under his little tent and riding along the road he'd count his supplies and read his map. Counted the coins in his purse and even trained till he nearly dropped. But in-between all of that his mind kept wandering,

Jaune found himself in this place as his unnamed horses hooves plodded over the mud and dirt. It had been five days since he had left Jacinda behind him and while he'd been excited to continue on, his mind soon turned to things he had pushed away. At first he could ignore it, expecting like so much else in this world for danger to come running out from every tree. But it didn't, and soon anticipation gave way to introspection.

One might think his time would be spent on those he killed. How the act of taking a man's life should be haunting him, but after a bit of thought Jaune realized he was more bothered by the necessity of what he'd done than the action itself. He knew he should have been bothered to have killed around a dozen or two men within a week, but he wasn't. While Jaune felt a bit uncomfortable with having done what he did, he also hadn't taken any joy from it. For all that they might have deserved it there was no enjoyment of his actions, no righteous feeling like he'd seen in movies. Just the feeling that he'd done what he'd needed in a desperate situation. Still didn't stop him from seeing the faces of those he killed in his dreams every now and then.

Instead he thought about Beacon, about his very short tenure there. How foolish he realized he was in hindsight now. To think he could hope to compete with those who'd been trained since childhood. No training, no aura and no clue of what he'd been doing. He'd just thrown on an old set of armor, grabbed the first weapon from his family's armory and thought that would get him by. He had to admit even after being flung from a cliff and rescued by a goddess a part of him felt like a protagonist in one of his stories, that things would just play out for him.

The battle had changed that perspective really quick. He'd survived, but only by the skin of his teeth and an ungodly amount of luck. Without aura he'd have been slaughtered a dozen times over and even with aura, Throgg had nearly been his end. Then in Jacinda he'd been unprepared for the politics of a plotting lord, a plot which nearly killed him as easily as the orc had. Karloff had warned him luck would only take him so far and right now luck was all he seemed to have. Well that and at least something resembling a next step.

 _Considering what Celestine had said about the monsters of both worlds, would I have even made it through initiation? Barring some unforeseen circumstances, I wouldn't have even survived the landing. And why did that Pyrrha chick hurl a spear at me, twice?!_ Jaune thought with a frown his hands tightening on his reins before he shook himself free of his thoughts. There would be time for self-deprecation later. The trees had begun to thin out around him and as the light began to peek in. In but a moment he had exited the empire and entered his destination. Eostia.

* * *

Jaune felt that increasingly familiar sensation of his nerves on the back of his neck as his horse made its way along the road, the border post he'd seen drawn on his map rising up before him. It wasn't Carnstein. That would still be at least half a day's ride from here. And he would need to meet with the contact Dietrich in Two Rivers before then.

But there was a small building ahead of him, a small wooden tower with a low wall near it right next to the road. It was old, clearly having been built many years ago if the mold and vines growing up its base was any indicator. A few men milled around the top while another half dozen more or less loitered around the base of the building, drinking or playing cards. Their weapons and some horses were kept not far away from them. Not that it would have mattered, any decent sized force would have them all dead within a moment.

But that wasn't really the point of it. Atop the tower Jaune saw a massive pile of wood and what he assumed would be jars of oil sitting next to the logs. A quick douse and that tower would be in flames, sending a smoke signal to anyone within miles. Those towns could then fortify and prepare for an oncoming invasion. It was actually a rather clever tactic.

Still Jaune had to keep the disgust off his face as he came closer to the Black Dog encampment. The smell of cheap booze and burnt meat mixed with raucous laughter from the mercenaries. They were so distracted it seemed he might simply be able to ride by their camp without being noticed.

"Hey you, on the horse!" or perhaps not. Jaune stiffened up for a moment having to resist kicking his horse into a gallop. Instead he pulled on the reins bringing his horse to a stop. One of the men had gotten up from his game while the others had their eyes turned to him, cards and drinks put to the side. More than one had put their hand near their weapons. The man approaching him was stocky if a bit short, a crop of blond hair sticking up from his scalp, wearing nothing but a vest and tattered pair of pants and boots. A pike rested on his shoulder and arm with the ease of one who knew how to wield it.

Jaune cleared his throat to calm his nerves and stepped from his horse, one hand holding the reins the other laying near to his blade. Not close enough to make anyone nervous but enough to reach it if needed Within the supplies he'd been given a set of recommendations to get past this little hurdle. Time to put his bullshit kills to the test. "H-Hello sir, what can I do for you?"

"I'll be asking the questions here boy. You're in Kuroinu now, that means we're in charge. Understand?" Jaune nodded his head fearfully doing his best to seem subservient to the man. It wasn't entirely acted, but however it happened it seemed to satisfy the man. "Good, now state your fucking business. What are you doing here and who are you?"

"My name is Jaune Arc. I'm…I'm traveling to Carnstein." Jaune said before the man spat to the side.

"I know your going to fucking Carnstein. There isn't another town near this god forsaken tower for miles. What I want to know is why." The man stared at him suspiciously, the hair on the back of Jaunes neck rising up. "You got armor and a blade, not to mention a horse. You headed to Ur for the tournament?"

"Tournament? What tournament?" Jaune asked not bothering to hide the confusion in his voice. A good rule of lying was when given the opportunity to be honest do so. It made the lying easier to sell.

It seemed to put the man at ease just a bit, giving out a small huff in annoyance. "Foreigners. Always showing up hearing of our goods and not our culture. That fat lard of butter Lord Pantielle holds a tournament every few months in the old arena to recruit soldiers and mercenaries for Emperor Vaults army. It also offers a chance to earn some loot if your skilled enough. It also gives us a chance to separate the chaff from the wheat, if you get my meaning. Next ones a few weeks from now."

"What kind of prizes do they offer?" Jaune asked a bit of dread in his stomach as he could already guess the answer.

"Eh all kinds really. Most common are women or gold for the regular fights, but for the seasonal tournaments the prizes can be quite special. Magical weapons, horses even a rare chance to test oneself against Vault himself. Though the poor prick who won that prize ended up getting gutted, should have known better than to accept that one."

"Oh, the tournaments are great. Best time to be in Ur. Three days of bloodshed and fucking." One of the men at the card game yelled out, the moron exposing his cards to the hidden snickers of the other players. "I heard a rumor this year they're going to offer a night with one of the princesses this year as the top prize."

"Bullshit." A man across from him groused, slamming his fist on the table. "They don't offer up fine pieces of ass like that just to some random scrub. Got to be part of Vaults vanguard or some rich prick to get a crack at them."

"B-But I heard them talking about it at the tavern. Goltri and Smith said so." The man protested eyes going wide as his cheeks flushed red.

"Oh, you heard Goltri talk about it. Well that's convincing." The man who was supposed to be interrogating said barely even looking at Jaune. "I suppose if Goltri said that he fucked your mom up the ass then bought her dinner you'd believe that to."

The men exploded into laughter while the shamed man sunk lower into his chair, doing his best to disappear into the earth. The teen in turn could only stare incredulously at the scene before him. _These are the guys who took down seven kingdoms? I wouldn't trust these idiots to watch a herd of sheep much less a border!_

'Sorry to get distracted." The man's voice broke Jaune out of his incredulity, bringing him back to attention. "I'll ask again, why are you here?"

"Well to answer your earlier question I'm not here for the tournament. Though if I get the chance I might participate if I get the chance." Jaune ignored the few jeers and snorts of disbelief coming from the table at the statement. "I'm here because my father passed away. Before I can inherit his estate, I was commanded to return to his brothers' home in Two Rivers to bury his ashes."

"I see. The old codger bought the farm and you want to claim it. I can respect that." The man said his hand tightening on his grip. "by chance I happened to grow up in Two Rivers. Mind telling me who your uncle is?"

"I've never met the man personally…" Jaune started to say before a dangerous glint entered the man's eye, any presence of kindness leaving them for something darker. "I mean his name is Dietrich. Dietrich von Everret."

"Everett? You're the nephew of that old cunt? No wonder you never met him." The man said let himself relax fully. "That man has to be the most miserable prick in the whole empire. He loves his money more than anything, probably would fuck it if he could."

"Well he's not that bad." One of the men yelled out from the table. "Cocksucker just likes to be left alone. He always pays his taxes on time and brings good crops to market. Just need smack him every now and then if he gets uppity."

"Shove it up your ass Wilks. If I say he's a prick that's the end of it." The blond man snarled before turning back to Jaune an angry look on his face. "If you want to see that old prick your free to do so, though I'd recommend burning house down with him in it after you're done. There's just the matter of the tariff payment."

"Right. My father told me I'd need to pay a fee" Jaune reached over to the horses saddle pulling the small bag of coins from out of one of the pouches. "How much is the toll?"

"Normally price of admission is three silver pieces a head. But for you it's going to be five, consider that a decency tax for being related to an Everret." The man said an angry smirk on his face. Jaune felt his jaw tighten, but did as he was told fishing the money from the purse.

He placed the coins in the man's hand, doing his best not to feel disgusted by him. He turned the coins over a bit for inspection before biting into one. "Well that all seems in order. Welcome to Kuroinu, if you get the chance when you're in Carnstein tell them well need a swap of goods soon. Our current stock is starting to get used up. Now get lost. I think it's time I enjoy the fruits of my labor."

With that the man turned around and walked off, placing some of the coins in a box on the table while placing the other two in his pocket before heading to the tower. Jaune for himself did nothing to invoke a reaction. Simply putting his money back in the saddle bag before mounting his horse. His horse began trotting set to leave when he heard door of the tower kick open, to see a horrific sight.

A trio of women were chained to the wall within the tower, stripped naked and dirty from things Jaune could only imagine. Two of them didn't respond simply slumped against the wall. The third one looked up at him, dead eyes peering right at him through stained blond hair. In them he saw horror and pain, and a silent plea for help. Before the man slammed the door back shut and the screaming began. His mind imagined that look on Elaine's face and the rage bubbled up inside him hand inching towards his blade. _This will not stand, they will all die when I-_

Jaunes mind stopped as his mind caught up with his actions, how close he was to blowing it. He wanted to draw his sword, to cut them all down like the beasts they were. With how unsuspecting they were of him and his aura their chance of stopping him would be small.

But neither was it likely he would be able to kill them all. Not before they set off the signal or worse if one of them escaped. Carnstein would bar its gates, would be on the lookout for anything to investigate. Any plots being hatched there would almost certainly be called off and his only thing resembling a plan would die. His mission would be over before it even began.

 _I'm so sorry._

With a heavy heart and guilt tearing at his insides he turned away, giving his kick a slight kick to move faster. He did everything he could to ignore the travesty of what was happening behind him. to remind himself of the greater mission, of how in time his actions might save them all in the future. But it did nothing for them in the immediate future, did nothing to spare that woman the pain he knew she was suffering. He felt his hatred only grow as he lost sight of the tower. Hatred for the men, hatred for the mission even to some degree hatred for the air he breathed. Most of all though he felt hatred for himself.

* * *

It was a few hours later when he finally reached the community of Two Rivers, which predictably lived up to its name. A pair of streams seemed to weave there way between the small homes dotting the landscape. There wasn't much to the place, just a dirt road and a small bridge arching over the waters to lead out the other side of it.

To Jaune the place seemed empty with many of its buildings seemingly abandoned. Few people walked its street and that number became fewer as some saw him and turned immediately back into their homes. The overwhelming majority were men, with a considerably smaller number of children quickly ushered out of sight. There wasn't a female above ten years old at all. Though considering what he'd seen back at the tower he could guess where they were now.

After some difficulty Jaune managed to ask about his contact and soon found himself standing in front of the largest house at the edge of the village. It was a double story home with simple wooden window slats and carved bannisters. A single red door seemed to stand out from the rest of the drab wood. The house had seen better years, with some of the boards holding loosely and a few cracks in the door, but otherwise seemed well maintained. Jaune dropped down from his horse and grabbed his coin pouch then walked up to the front of the building and knocked on the door.

For a moment jaune didn't think anyone heard him, so he raised his hand to knock again. Before he could however the door was yanked back, a suspicious and wrinkled eye staring at him from the door. Other than that and a bit of white hair Jaune saw little else. Other than the crossbow sticking between the door slit "What do you want?" the owner of said eye spoke in a venomous voice.

"Umm, I'm looking for Dietrich Von Everret? I was told this was where he lived?" Jaune asked resisting the urge to step back. He doubted the bolt would do much, but having it bounce off his chest would raise a lot of questions.

"I'm Dietrich, and Dietrich would appreciate if you answered the question. Now either tell me what you want or kindly fuck off."

"Right, uh give me one second." Jaune reached into his pouch, aware of how the bolt had been raised to aim at his head. Finding what he wanted he slowly reach out towards the door. "I believe this will answer any questions you might have."

The man looked into his hand and the eye he saw widened, hand moving with a speed to snatch the brass coin from his hand. He held it up in front of his eye for only a moment before it disappeared from view. "Go put your horse in the stable and come around back. And quickly please, before my idiot neighbors have any more to gossip about."

With that the door was slammed shut, the sound of locks being locked back in place. Jaune gave a small huff before walking off to do as he was told. Leading his horse to the back he brought the animal to the back of the house tying it off in an empty stall. Jaune gave the animal a pat on the side, smiling as it ate the hay from the ground. "I promise at some point I'll give you a name at some point." He said before wrinkling his nose at the invasive smell making its way up his nostril. It smelled of hay and the scent of manure, courtesy of the cow and older work horse occupying the only other stalls. Grabbing the map and a few other things he headed towards the back.

He found the door cracked for him but now man at the entrance. After a moment of waiting for an invitation that wasn't coming Jaune let himself in. it hadn't been a moment he'd crossed the threshold before the door closed shut behind him, Dietrich waiting behind him. "You took your sweet time. Leave your shit by the door and follow me, dinners nearly ready. And then we'll talk."

The old man turned on his heel and began a slow gait down the hallway. Not being left with much choice Jaune dropped his bag and supplies by the door following the man down. Considering he'd had a weapon pointed at his dome a few moments ago he pointedly did not leave his sword or knife behind him, nor the map. When Dietrich looked behind and saw this, he merely huffed in annoyance but said nothing about it, continuing on his way.

As Dietrich lead him through the various rooms Jaune noticed a lack of personality to the place. There were no paintings, no decorations nothing to indicate a man of his supposed wealth or comfort. As Dietrich lead him into the kitchen this pattern continued, only the simplest of chairs and table set up within the small room. The smell of apples and some sort of meat was wafting from a pot heating over a small fireplace.

Jaunes stomach which had mostly been surviving off rations and berries grumbled in anticipation. Something resembling a laugh echoed from the old man, black eyes turning to the weary teenager. "Have a seat sir. I'll have this whipped up in a moment."

With it the man turned his back to him and began slicing into a thing of bread on the counter. With nothing else to do Jaune took a seat having an opportunity to observe Dietrich for the first time. At first there wasn't much to look at, Dietrich for all his position seemed to be an average man. He was old, probably in his fifties or sixties if Jaune was to guess, with white hair that flowed down his scalp rather haphazardly. His face was plain, not ugly or scarred but not handsome in any way either. His clothing was plain as well, a simple brown robe with a darker set of brown pants and shoes. An equally brown belt held it all together over a thin frame. It looked like a simple wind might nock him over.

But Jaune in his short time here learned that looks could be deceiving. Despite his age Dietrich moved easily around the kitchen, grabbing bowls and utensils without any sign of fatigue one would expect. And he handled the knife he cut with fair precision, slicing through the hard bread in a straight line.

Jaune mentally shook himself from his observation when the man placed a steaming pair of bowls on the table, one for him and one for Jaune. Dietrich sat himself down, gesturing to the food. "Don't hold back on my account, its best to eat it while its hot."

Not wanting to appear rude Jaune picked up his spoon and took a gulp of the concoction before him. it was a strange but surprisingly good blend of apple, chicken and cheddar. He had to take a second to keep the liquid from scalding down his throat, savoring the taste before swallowing. "Thank you, it's quite delicious."

Dietrich in turn merely shrugged, pausing between slurps to respond back. "You can thank my late wife for the recipe, she always had a touch with the kitchen I can only emulate. And before you ask no she didn't die during the uprising. Pneumonia took her about fifteen winters ago."

"I wasn't going to ask." Jaune weakly protested, though to his shame that had been the first idea to pop up in his mind. "I am sorry about your wife's passing."

"Don't be, made peace with it years ago. At the time I cursed the gods for taking her from me. Considering all the horror that's happened since, I now realize they might have done me a favor. My wife was far younger than me and pretty for her age. That's a dangerous thing to be nowadays." Dietrich scooped up a bit of his bread into the broth munching down on the mix. "From the look on your face when I first saw you, I'm guessing you saw a bit of horror yourself today."

A flash of desperate eyes went through Jaunes mind, and suddenly he felt his appetite plummet. "I went past the border tower today. I saw…I can't really describe what I saw. I could have done something but I did nothing." Jaune made to push his bowl away, only for Dietrich to shove it back.

"Keep eating." Dietrich said a glare on his face. "What you saw was just a taste. Your mission whatever it is will lead you to see far worse than that, regardless of how it all turns out. You'll need food to keep up your strength."

Jaune hesitated for a moment before picking his spoon back up. The two ate for a little while with only silence hanging between them. At some point Jaunes bowl scraped an empty bottom and Dietrich plucked the bowl from the table and refilled it. Jaune went to object but stopped upon realizing the futility. Taking another bite Jaune tried to bring the conversation back in. "I must admit, you're not quite what I imagined a spy would be."

"Really? Were you expecting a handsome rogue who could smooth talk his way into any court or noble lady's bedroom? Those people tend to be useful idiots and die rather quickly. A spy's job is to go unnoticed." Dietrich responded, seeming a combination of annoyed and amused. "Well for your information I never thought Ivalice would send me a greenhorn after my last report. Most spies I deal with tend to sneak in my home and act all mysterious. Trying to be as suave and threatening as possible. You on the other hand walked to my door in broad daylight and knocked."

Jaune flushed at this, feeling embarrassment flood into him. "I guess I could have played that a bit better. But what I meant was how angry and aggressive you were from the start."

"I know what you meant and don't worry you played it fine. A nervous nephew coming to meet an uncle he's never met. Best way to act a role is by choosing one that is true to yourself. When I was recruited by the legion decades ago it was decided my skills were better served as a spy than a soldier. But they knew I was no recruiter to tempt assets, no master of espionage to worm his way into the courts. But Carnstein sat on an important trade route for the empire, being the closest town to our border. An ideal spot for an invading army, and a good place to have a pair of eyes watching. If those eyes belong to a curmudgeonly bastard who likes to be left alone, well that's all the better."

"No one wants to deal with a someone who comes off as miserable I suppose. But doesn't that get lonely? I mean, holed up in this house by yourself for years." Jaune asked, just thinking about what the last few days had been like for him.

"Decades boy, for decades. I've owned this house ever since the empire planted me here as a teenager. The supposed castoff bastard son of some minor noble house from the other side of Eostia. Gave the local hens quite a bit to gossip at the time." Dietrich said before noticing the look on Jaunes face. "Look Jaune, I've never been what others would call sociable, but I did have a few friends and my wife later on. Those have all passed on and I'm fine dedicating my remaining years to my work, both for country and on a farm. Considering my personality this is probably the best life I could have had. Until recently it was a fairly easy one."

"That makes sense I suppose. But wait, you said invading army. Whose army would that belong to? The Empire or the Eostia's?" Jaune asked picking up on the little discrepancy.

Dietrich for the first time gave a little smile as if he'd heard a funny joke. "I suppose that would depend on the circumstances wouldn't it? But enough idle chatter, finish your food and well get to work."

Dinner ended shortly after that and soon the two men found their way into what accounted as a medieval office. A small desk and bookcase were all that made up the room, Jaunes map now covering the surface as Jaune told Dietrich of the events of the past few weeks. The old spy asked him to recall everything he knew, only interrupting to ask the occasional question. It took the better part of the evening but eventually Jaune reached the end of his tale. He of course left out the part about Celestine and his aura.

"Quite the busy few weeks you've been having. A lot of people would think it from a story, so terribly exciting." Dietrich said sitting back in his chair a small cup of wine in his hand. He'd offered Jaune a cup but the teen had politely refused, not willing to risk putting anymore food in his belly.

"Not the word I'd use. None of those people know what its like to get smacked around by an orc. I didn't expect to come out of that battle unscathed."

"And they didn't expect to lose, but sometimes the unusual happens. Still this was an odd choice for them. The Black Dogs don't have the strongest presence in this region, only about two hundred men in total garrisoned her. Yet they sent half of their forces nearly a week away into a massive empire to raid it? It makes no sense." Dietrich said looking down at the map, speaking to him in a way that reminded Jaune of a teacher.

"Well, forgive me for playing devils advocate but isn't that the whole idea? They take what they want and don't think about the consequences." Jaune asked remembering his encounter with them. Calling most of them stupid was pretty generous.

Dietrich shook his head, putting his empty cup aside. "Bit more complicated than that. Whatever you think of their soldiers don't mistake that for their leaders. You don't become the head of a pack of murderers without a little bit of brains. Sure, they raided, but only in bands of a few dozen, and mostly on horseback in case they needed to escape. Never on a scale this size though. Carnstein and the surrounding villages is made up mostly of peasants and they easily outnumber them twenty to one before they lost half their men. The Dogs keep control here by having just enough men to slaughter any uprising before it can occur. If one happened now, I'm not sure they could stop it."

"Sure, I could see that as a problem." Jaune conceded the point. "But this is only a temporary loss. They could recruit more men or petition the capital."

"Ah but that's the other weird thing, they're not doing that. I expected them to be running around from village to village press ganging every boy capable of holding a sword into service, but instead they've been carrying on like normal. Which I can only chalk up to one of two things. Either their leader is an idiot who can't see how bad his position is…"

"Or-." Jaune interrupted and stopped knowing it was rude to interrupt. Dietrich for himself seemed oddly amused gesturing for him to continue. "Or something else is going on. Something more important than rebuilding their forces."

"Exactly." Dietrich said a pleased look on his face. "I've spent a few days in the tavern and the soldiers are unusually tight lipped. Most of them time they can't shut up about whatever atrocity their about to commit. The situation requires further investigation."

"Tomorrow I'm expected to deliver a portion of the harvest into town. You'll be accompanying me as my nephew and new helper. You'll help me load the crops in the morning and then we'll depart for Carnstein. We'll poke our noses around and see if we can sniff anything out."

"Not to invite trouble but are you sure they'll let us in? if something is going on it might make sense for them to keep outside elements out." Jaune asked standing from his chair.

Dietrich in turned shrugged his shoulders at the question. He rolled the map back up and tied it off before handing it back to Jaune "Can't say they wouldn't, but I doubt it. Winter is a few months away and they need to eat between orgies. And they wouldn't trust the rank and file not to take some extra for themselves. Even if they do turn us away, we won't be any worse off than we are now. Now enough talk for one night, I'll show you where you can rest for tonight, you're going to need it. You've seen the beast claws but tomorrow you'll be going near one of its teeth. Can't have you being tired, mad dogs tend to eat the weak around here."

Dietrich it had meant it to be comforting Jaune was sure. Or maybe it was his own form of humor. Jaune found it to be neither later that night as he was laying on a bedroll in the middle of the man's kitchen, all Jaune could think of was the new nightmare he would be entering tomorrow. At least until he fell asleep, then all he saw were numerous eyes around him, each one condemning him worse than the last.

* * *

 **And were done. Not much action this week, just some plot set up and just another OC for the time being. Though we will get our first intro to some of the Kuroinu game characters next chapter. I'm sure they'll be great guys to have around. So Jaune got his first sight of all the glorious Kuroinu Empire has to offer. And of course, its fucking horrible. I promise things are going to get much worse as the pair head to Carnstein. Don't know when the next update will be, but I'll aim for before the end of the month. Thanks for reading and thanks for the support, see you next time.**


	8. Carnstein

**Here we go with chapter number 8. This one thankfully updated faster than the previous one, a pattern I hope to keep. Thank you all for the reviews on the last one, hit my 100** **th** **this week. Anyways here we go. Rated M for Kuroinu** _ **italics=thoughts**_ **. Bold=emphasis**

Carnstein

Dark torches cast their shadows as a poorly dressed figure and his guards shambled through the tunnel of his palace. The clothing was of the finest purple and white silks held together by a red and gold laced doublet, but they stretched in a vain attempt to keep the fat girth from spilling out. A similar situation existed down below, though thankfully to all the red cod piece seemed able to keep the lower ensemble together. The man had a massive gut that bounced with each step threatened to knock over any man in his way. His face was as pudgy as the rest of him seemingly adorned with a head of blonde locks combed neatly to the side, the only part of him that seemed to be well cared for.

Despite his grotesque appearance he seemed to hold an air of benevolence to him, smiling and seeming to fail to notice the subtle looks of disgust aimed towards him. Neither slave or Black Dog were foolish enough to let such looks become more than subtle. All had seen this man when the smile slipped away and few were those who existed who could insult him to his face and get away with it.

Approaching the doors of his personal chambers he waved his guards off letting them take their place outside the room as he entered alone. He entered his chambers, a multi room suite consisting of bedroom, study and privy. A small whimper came from the bedroom, a sound that sent blood running between his leg. For the moment he ignored it in favor of approaching the desk purposefully set to the side of the room, a large glowing green crystal floating above it. The crystal seemed as if it would float away if not for the chains wrapped around it. Nearby a thin man dressed in tattered robes and chains of his own.

"Slave." The fat man spoke out, managing to come off as both whining and tired from the mere use of his vocal chords. The voice was far higher pitched than one would expect of a man his size. "Is the connection prepared as was demanded?"

"Y-Yes Lord Pantielle. As your grace de-demanded the link has been established and only awaits your submission." A scared voice answered him bowing from his chained position. The enslaved man was too obscured by the light to be seen properly, but he did not dare lift his eyes to meet the obese lords.

The fat man in turn puffed up his chest seeming to almost see this as a chore. "Well I suppose we should get this over with. Move over."

With an almost herculean level of effort the fat man dropped himself to his knees, his stomach slamming the man out of his way to more easily fit his gut in the area. His knees squished into the carpet of the floor. The soft material did little to hinder the sudden pain that came as a result, he took the familiar stance nonetheless lowering his head as if in pray. He spoke in as graceful a voice as he was capable of, though a tiny bit of whine was impossible to remove. "This dog gives submission to you my generous master, who howls in sight of your grandeur. May it be heard for eternity."

The phrase simply spoken resulted in a grand activation as the crystal seemed to spark to life. Magical energies swirled and dance above the two as it coalesced above the crystal. Colorful lights came together as an image began to merge into a singular shape. To a stranger the sight would have been beautiful though neither man dared lift his head to watch the display. Neither would lift it until given permission.

There may have been few men free to insult the Lord without fear, but those few who could were terrifying. And none more so terrifying than the one he called master.

"Michelle. I accept your submission. Feel free to lift your head and stand **."** A deep voice commanded, regal and threatening in all the ways the self-proclaimed ruler of Ur wish his was. The crystal distorted the voice a bit but to any who heard it knew it by heart, in awe or terror. Michelle quickly raised his head and rose to his feet knowing that the suggestion was an order in all but name.

"Emperor Vault, I-I am grateful to be graced with your presence, even if it is only through a mere illusion stone." Michelle said managing to keep his sentence legible.

There wasn't much to see of his lord at the moment as only an image of his upper body was available for display. Armored arms crossed over a barrel of a chest, with the Black Dog image stamped onto his shoulder pauldron. A handsome face with thick bushy eyebrows, one crossed by a deep scar, and a five a clock shadow stared out at him from red eyes that seemed to pierce straight through him. if one managed to look away from his gaze they'd find their eyes drawn to the handle of his great sword mounted behind his back.

"I'm sure it is Michelle, but I did not wait here to grace you. So, stop with the flattery and let's get to business. How are the operations in the south coming?" Vault asked, impatience clear on his face.

An impatient Vault was a dangerous thing, so Michelle wasted no time in answering. "The operations are going well your grace. I have sent the necessary tools and slaves to the workcamp in the southeast. Along with any capable carpenters as you demanded. By now General Hicks and Beardsley should be putting them to good use. "

"I'm sure they are. What of the situation in Carnstein? Has there been any word of our missing men?"

"I'm afraid so my emperor. The attack seemed to have ended in failure, Throgg and his men were destroyed by the Ivalice and her legionnaires." Michelle said very thankful not to have been in charge of that particular mission

"God damn fucking morons. If one of us isn't there to hold their hands they can't get shit done properly. Any chance one of them came back to tell a story?" Vault asked with a sneer seeming to know the answer already.

"I don't believe so your grace. The garrison commander at Carnstein indicated no account of survivors in his report. Though the Mortadella brothers said they would investigate after they finished the mission." Michelle answered keeping a neutral expression on his face.

"They're still intending to go for it? Even after we suffered a public defeat?" Vault asked an incredulous expression on his face. "How many men did they bring with them?

"A few dozen my lord, enough to discourage any bandits but not nearly enough to make up for our lost forces in the region. I tried to convince them not to go but they insisted on keeping the original agreed upon time. They felt attempting to reschedule the negotiation might be seen as a sign of weakness, especially in light of their failed raid." Michelle lied happy to throw a prospective pair of rivals under the cart. The pig brothers were a nuisance at best and anytime to make them look foolish was always welcome. Now it was time to be seen as useful. "They left for Carnstein a week ago and should be there in a few days. I could call them back if you wish, send riders out to retrieve them."

"Don't bother. By the time you'd catch up to them they'd already be on their way back. This part of our operation is their responsibility, and while it is important ultimately it is not crucial to our plans. They will either reap the rewards or bare the blame." Vault dismissed it with a wave of his hand. Vault then leaned forward, the first real bit of excitement appearing on his face. "Forget about them. How is the tournament coming along?

Michelle cleared his throat before gesturing to his side, being given a document by his cowering slave. "Preparations for the tournament are on schedule as I promised they would be. Flyers and out criers have been sent into all the neighboring regions as well as the empire to attract new warriors for the colosseum. Though its still weeks away the city is already filling with all manner of merchants and visitors. Profits from our trade and pleasure district are already up by thirteen percent over last year. I believe this will be our biggest tournament to date."

"Excellent news Michelle, well done. The games serve as an excellent distraction for our loyal men and a good source of income, especially during these times of dreary peace. And we cannot miss the opportunity to bring new blood into the. Fresh warriors who gain a taste of our services for the first time tend to fight more fanatically than others. Our empire is founded upon such strength, it gives us the ability to fight and take as we please. As all true men should right boys?" Vault spoke as if he was a drill sergeant instructing a group of young cadets, a giant grin on his face. A chorus of cheers responded back, indicating wherever he was he was not alone.

"Indeed, your grace, your insight into such matters is always remarkable." Michelle preened to his master before continuing on, a bit of a conflicted expression on his face. "Which is why I had hoped to discuss the grand prize this year."

"What is there to discuss?" Vault asked in confusion, a small frown appearing on his face. "The prize was decided upon months ago."

"I know, but hear me out if you would. The reveal of the grand prize is always the biggest draw for fighters and spectators alike. The greater the prize or number of prizes, the better turnout we will get. Which is why I'd ask you to send two instead of one."

"Two? You want me to send you **two** of them for one tournament? You don't believe that to be excessive? Or do you perhaps seek to add more to your collection? To take advantage of my already great generosity?" Vault asked as his confusion quickly turning to anger. Judging by the voices on the other side they weren't happy either.

Panic for the first-time crossed Michelle's face the fat man falling to a knee in apology. "N-No I would n-never seek to be so greedy. I…I just thought it would help bring in more fighters. B-But O-Only if you believe it wise m-my master. I did not mean to a-anger you, it was a stupid idea. Let us just forget everything and move- "

Michelle was cut off from his blubbering as a low chuckling, soon turning into full blown laughter from both Vault and more on the other side of the connection. Michelle felt humiliation rise to his cheeks as he became a product of mockery. Vault eventually stopped laughing his face turning into a smirk. "Calm yourself Michelle, I don't think it's a terrible idea. I'm actually surprised at your gumption."

"So…" Michelle hesitated, unsure if he was still being played with or not. "Does that mean you'll send them your grace?"

"I will. But with three conditions." Vaults image said any form of amusement evaporating. "First, since I will be sending you two of our most prized possessions, you will split the tournament into two brackets with a set of rules and challenges I will send to you shortly. Second, neither you or any of your men will touch them until I say so. I do not want our winners feeling as if they'd been cheated out of their prize, especially if we wish for them to join us."

"A-And the third condition?" Michelle asked prostrated from his position on the ground. He shrunk in on himself even further when Vault's image suddenly leaned towards him, the monster hiding under his regal mask making itself known.

"The third is you return them to me within one moon of the tourneys conclusion. As I am releasing them to you, their possession and well-being will be your responsibility. If anything goes wrong, **anything at all** , I will hold you personally accountable. And believe me you will not enjoy what that means. Do you accept these terms as I have spoken them?"

"Y-Yes your grace!" Michelle blurted out, knowing that a refusal was not acceptable at this point. "they'll be back before you notice their absence."

"Good." All the threat in Vault's posture vanished, his previous good cheer returning. "My men will be there with them a few days before the Tourney's start. Make sure everything is prepared for their arrival and don't forget, I and the empire will be watching the proceedings."

Michelle began to respond but Vault did not bother to say farewell. The image seemed to crack for a moment before the image faded out into a small swirl of colors. Silence followed the moment as both lord and slaved quivered at the implied threat.

Once the crystal returned to its former glow Michelle stood up from his location, face held in fury. He backhanded his attendant into the wall, the chains on his arms rattling. "Well? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! Get to work slave, I won't have Vaults mongrels coming to a disorganized palace. I'll be too busy attending to important matters to deal with such trivial nonsense."

Blood running down the slaves face he only shakingly bowed in fear before exiting the room as fast as his chains would allow him to. Michell merely huffed and struggled to rise to his knees, slightly out of breath from the non-labor. Waddling out of the study he made his way to his bedroom where on the edge of the reinforced steel bed a quivering chained form sat. Michelle took great pleasure in watching the smaller form shake harder as his footsteps neared. Her fear brought the earlier feeling in his loins back tenfold from where they'd been. With his usual smile twisting into something far sicker he reached over to the teen girls shoulder forcing her to look towards him. Shivering red eyes met sadistic blue as he took in the fallen princess's form with great pleasure. She wasn't his only possession, but she was by far his favorite.

"I believe its time we renewed our love for each other, don't you my dear?"

Her screams would last well into the night, and as always went unheeded.

* * *

Sleep had not come easily to Jaune that night, with accusing eyes and vicious laughs reverberating through him. So, when Dietrich's hand shook him awake near the crack of dawn, he had to hide his relief. Breakfast and a morning wash in the nearby river had seemed to fly by and before he knew it, he was loading up the old man's wagon. Bushels of wheat and crates of apple along with barrels of salted pork were loaded into the back of the rickety wagon. Aura made what should have been an arduous task just a mild chore, crates and barrels quickly being stored away.

While Jaune was loading the food, Dietrich had brought the horse out from the back, running a brush through the chestnuts coat and harnessing it to the cart. The warhorse seemed to fidget and stomp its feet, but Dietrich seemed to keep the beast calm with a few hushed words. Dietrich had traded in his robe for a grey shirt, with a green coat to go over it. A pouch of coins bounced on his hip. Finishing with the brush he tossed it in the back of the cart. "The horse Jaune, it got a name?"

Jaune didn't respond at first, grunting as he loaded the last barrel onto the cart. He wiped his hand across his brow, his armor set aside to make it easier to carry the merchandise. "I'm not sure, I was only given it a week ago. Does it matter?"

"Course it matters." Dietrich retorted, turning to attach the bridle and reins. "Locals would say its bad luck not to name your horse. Anything that would carry your ass for miles on end is deserving of one at a minimum."

"So, got any recommendations? I've never named anything before." Jaune asked pulling his armor and weapons on. He adjusted his double belt with a last pull, sword attached to one while his hooked dagger was connected to the other. Dietrich himself simply shrugged, placing a dagger in his boot and a bow and quiver behind the driver's seat before hopping up in the cart.

"Not my decision to make. Choosing a name for your horse is a rather personal matter. Just don't call it something stupid like Charger or lightning or some shit. Now get into the cart we're burning daylight."

Jaune hopped to it, clambering up next to Dietrich who gave a quick snap of the reins. The nameless horse grunted and pulled, the cart following behind after a moment of strain. The wagon trundled through the village at a slow pace, slow enough where Jaune felt like he could walk faster. If the lack of speed bothered Dietrich, he didn't let it show.

When Jaune had arrived in the village only a few people had been about in the evening time. During the daytime however, things were busier. Men and children were just heading out to the fields tools in hand while others moved towards the wood's axes in hand. The few women left in town, mostly old women and a few young girls were washing and sewing clothing. Somewhere in the distance Jaune could hear the sound of hammer hitting metal as some blacksmith swung away. A few Blackdogs rode through the village on horses but their presence here was almost non-existent.

It was odd to see a village so seemingly peaceful. Jaune had passed through a number of them on his way up the border but hadn't expected it on the other side. If it wasn't for the lack of women Jaune wouldn't have known the difference from one side or the other. It wasn't the picture of twisted degradation and evil he'd seen in Karloff's village.

Once they had exited the village and Jaune felt they wouldn't be overheard he decided to ask about it. "I must admit from the stories I've read I expected things to be different in Two Rivers. More horrible and… well more like what I saw at the tower."

"Looks can be deceiving, as someone in our line of work you should learn this quickly. Larger more populous villages and towns might have a contingent of soldiers to hold them, especially in the various kingdom's interior but those on the fringes of the empire are less important and thus less guarded. That doesn't mean their grip is any weaker." Dietrich reached into his jacket pulling out a small pipe and flint. Scratching the metal a few times on a pebble from his pocket it created a spark lighting the pipe, a sour sweet smell wafting from the plant.

"Black dogs don't post soldiers in these villages because they don't have to. Carnsteins the only town with walls and real presence in this region, most settlements here barely have a fence to keep the cows from running off. Occasionally if the land goes bad the villages are small enough to move to more fertile fields. People go through there days here as if nothings wrong because to do otherwise would lead to madness. Village only seems peaceful for now. Tax season will be here soon enough and any illusion of normalcy will be gone."

"I dread to ask this but how is that different than before? I find no one likes paying taxes regardless of where you live." Jaune said in a matter of fact manner. Inside though he feared he already knew where this was going.

Dietrich simply puffed his pipe, letting a small ring float off to the side as the sight of the village fell behind them. "True, no one likes handing their crops over to some noble prick who wouldn't spit on them if they were on fire. But that lord also wouldn't generally take their daughters as part of the payment. Women in this nation are national property according to the Black Dogs and thus are liable as taxation. Come tax season any girl who's had her first blood gets taken up to Carnstein for a new life of pain and humiliation."

Jaune felt like the air had been punched from his lungs. A part of him had guessed this but hearing it was another thing altogether. "The villagers just let them take their kids? Like they're cattle or grain?"

"Villagers don't let it happen Jaune. that implies they have a choice. The people here aren't fighters, hell most of them have never touched a sword let alone have access to one. Besides even if they did Carnstein would not fall easily. Between the guards and the walls, it would be difficult for any peasant mob to breach it. Not to mention most families already have someone they love held in the town, and I wouldn't put it past those bastards to turn the knives on those women if they got desperate. Those girls serve both as symbols to establish their dominance and hostages to anyone who would challenge them." Dietrich spoke through the smoke.

"Then why don't people just leave? If they can't fight, they could at least run."

"Some tried that." Dietrich said with a shrug. "Most never make it. If the Black Dogs don't get you the beasts or bandits of the woods typically do, they love the scent of fear. They've run rampant since Vault took over. Many even end up allowed to pillage as long as they pay proper tribute to Kuroinu. As for those who get captured, well, if you look you now can see for yourself what happens to them." The man pointed off to the side of his cart.

Jaune looked into the direction Dietrich was pointing, to find a horror show waiting for him. Men and boys exhausted and beaten worked the fields, torn and tattered clothes draped over gaunt forms. They worked the fields with bloodied hands, connected every six feet or so by chains at their waists. Riding on horses a few men in well dressed clothes watched over the proceedings, whips and clubs at the ready. Jaune watched as one young boy struggled to load a bale of wheat into a cart, only to lose his grip and for the bale to hit the ground. Without missing a beat one of the overseers undid his whip and with an ease only gained through experience flicked it, the leather whistling through the air. The tune ended as it flayed into the back of the boy with a crack, followed by his screams and the rider's laughter.

There must have been hundreds of slaves locked up in that field.

Jaune only came back to himself as a strong grip yanked him back into his seat, gripping his wrist with a strength he hadn't expected the old man to have. Dietrich was in his ear, anger lacing each word. "Don't blow our fucking cover, remember why the empire sent you here. There's nothing you can do to help those people."

Jaune felt shame in himself as he let himself slump down, unaware he'd even begun to rise up or reach for his sword. All he'd been focused on was the boy. "Those…those are the ones who tried to run?"

"A few of them." Dietrich said his visage grim. "Many of them come from other places. Criminals, males kidnapped in raids, soldiers who fought for Eostia against them and anyone who'd publicly speak out against the **magnanimous** Emperor Vault. No shortage of reasons to take a man's freedom away and work them to death."

"Why? They don't do that in Two Rivers, you said they just take their portion of the crops."

"Yes, but it's not nearly enough. Well it would be if the louts knew the first thing of moderation. When they're not fighting Vault's men are constantly feasting and drinking themselves into unconsciousness. The tithe from the villages isn't enough to maintain that lifestyle, so slaves are brought in to make up the difference. There's probably a hundred of these work camps across the former seven kingdoms by now"

"But that's stupid." Jaune said failing (and frankly not trying) to keep the incredulity out of his tone. "Putting aside the morals they clearly don't have the land can't simply produce without end. It would need time rejuvenate, to regain its fertility. Otherwise you have to spend more resources to get the same result, and even then the land that will eventually become worthless. They're literally destroying their own food supply."

"You know, there was a farmer who tried to explain that to them once, he was genuinely just trying to be helpful. Bloke named Declan, nice lad but a bit of a simpleton. Rumor was his mother dropped him on his head as a baby, knocked some of the sense out of him. Still that man could grow fruit beautifully. Had a green thumb like no one I ever met."

"So, I can assume they didn't take his advice to heart?" Jaune asked sarcastically, already seeing a familiar pattern.

"Seemed they did at first actually. The soldiers he talked to seemed interested in what he was saying. One of them even recommended meeting with the garrison commander to discuss it. So Declan agreed, said goodbye to his family and went off to share his knowledge. They delivered his head back a few days later." Dietrich emptied his pipe out of the ashy remnants, placing it back in his jacket. "One of them thought he was funny, said Declan might have had a green thumb but he bled red like anyone else."

"Charming." Jaune said shaking his head in disbelief. "Is there a moral to go along with this charming story?"

"Oh yeah, the moral is keeping your mouth shut regardless of what you hear or see in Carnstein. Black Dogs are a strange combination of zealous and stupid, and they don't like being told they're doing something wrong. In fact, you should practice that now. We'll be there shortly." Dietrich said nodding his head forward. In front of him a dark brown blot stood in the distance like a blotch on a painting. Jaune could barely make out the outline of the walls, the town he had been making his way towards for over a week.

As stupid as it sounded, he hoped it took a long time to get there.

* * *

His hopes as was often the case went unanswered as the wagon trundled along the dirt path. It was close to evening time as they pulled up outside of the town. As it drew closer Jaune couldn't help by beginning to contrast Carnstein with Jacinda. Jacinda's walls had been kept in pristine condition, white walls adorned with banners and arrow slits manned by disciplined guards and lookouts. Carnstein on the other hand seemed more of a poorer, paler imitation. The walls were poorly maintained, moss and vines eating there way into the mortar. In some parts bits of stone had fallen away to reveal the original wood foundation. A pair of tattered banners displaying the black dog image hung lazily next to the wooden gate, seeming to sag lifelessly on the walls.

 _I am really starting to hate that emblem._ Jaune thought to himself before his nose scrunched up, a sickly smell invading his nostrils. It reminded him of fish and metal. "Gods what is that stench?"

"Blood and semen I suspect, usual stink of this place. Strange though, it's less pungent than normal." Dietrich spoke in the manner of a man talking about the weather. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jaunes horrified expression. "Get that look off your face, no turning back now. Let me do the talking."

In Jacinda Jaune and Karloff's people had to wait nearly two hours before it was their turn to approach the gate. Carnstein took about ten minutes, not a lot of people clamoring to get in. The few that did for the most part were turned away, beggars and the desperate primarily. More than one was removed forcefully. The cart came to a halt in front of the gate as a pair of guards signaled to them, each one holding a spear in hand. Like seemingly all Black Dogs neither wore armor. "State your names and business. And be quick about it." One of the guards demanded, resting the haft of the spear on his shoulder.

"Dietrich Von Everret with my nephew Jaune Arc. I've been ordered to deliver these goods to your garrison and will be staying at the tavern for a few days. I have your commanders requisition order here." Dietrich letting go of the reins and slowly reaching into his jacket pocket so as to not startle the guards. He withdrew a badly scrawled parchment with the Black Dog insignia on it, handing it over to the guard who began to read it.

The other guard was staring at Jaune looking at him up and down. "There a reason your nephew has an armor and blade old man?"

"Of course sir." Dietrich said in a sort of scared respectful way far more deserving than was deserving of the soldier. "Roads are dangerous these days. The boys father taught him to fight. Jaune is both my helper and my bodyguard."

"Bodyguard? Bet this green horn has never so much as seen a fight. Boy doesn't look like he could guard a flock of sheep. Probably try to fuck them instead." The guard began laughing out as the other snickered. Jaune's blood boiled, but he kept his anger in check.

"Well everything seems in order here. However, the garrison is currently off limits by the commander's order. Have the food delivered to the Tavern instead and as for your **bodyguard** , remind him that all non-Black Dog weapons are to remain sheathed. Now on your way."

The soldier handed back the parchment and waved to one of the guards on the tower. A moment later the doors of the gateway pulled open with a groan, the nameless horse pulling the cart through the archway. The cart had barely cleared the entryway when the gateway shut behind them, the loud boom causing Jaune's head to twist behind him. Trying to ignore the laughter from the guards he turned back in his seat to get his first look at Carnstein.

It was to put it simply horrifying. The buildings were dilapidated, many of the houses and buildings literally falling apart. Trash and refuse was piled everywhere as if no one had bothered to clean up in years. Moving through the streets Jaune saw the occasional body rotting away in alleys and by the road. It mixed with the now identifiable smell of semen and blood to create a unique smell that had Jaune nearly heaving. If Jaune had entered the town without prior knowledge one might think they'd entered into a settlement recently sacked.

Then there were the women. Jaune had never seen such a high proportion of women to men in one place, nor as many as miserable as possible. Women with bags under there eyes were being forced to work endlessly doing any number of miscellaneous tasks. Cooking, cleaning sewing and the sorting of goods taken from recent raids. It was clear they'd been forced to work non-stop and some even showed signs of malnutrition. Black Dog men stood by to verbally and physically abuse them while sitting on their asses being fed and tended to. An old woman sorting through the goods didn't seemed to be going at a pace fast enough for one of the soldiers, the Black Dog walking over and backhanding the woman to the ground. As the woman quivered and struggled to return to work, he gave her a boot to the rear laughing as she nearly fell again.

Jaune felt his hands clenched so tight the leather on his gloves was creaking. Dietrich's voice interrupted his anger, drawing his gaze away from the poor elder. "Look away boy and reserve your pity. This is just where the old crones and the ugly are forced to work till they drop dead. If you look ahead, you'll see they are the lucky ones."

Jaune knew Dietrich was telling him the truth but a part of him couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that men were capable of more cruelty than what he had seen at the tower or just now. It might have been foolish but the best part of him didn't want to believe men could fall to such depravity.

That part of him quickly died and was replaced with a strange numbness. The kind caused by seeing too much of a bad thing to be able to properly analyze it in the moment. If the front of Carnstein was a slave camp, then the town plaza was a whore house. The bulk of the Black Dogs were found here, Jaune in part wanting to see as little as possible tried not to give himself away, but he could tell there were dozens here. Men in broad daylight and without shame thrusted themselves without shame or mercy into any woman unfortunate enough to have their attention. Against walls, in chairs even some in the dirt and mud plowed into women screaming for mercy and horror. Some were being forced by a single man, while others less fortunate were used by multiple men. Young and older, restrained or tied up none were being spared the villains lust. Others were forced to serve the men as they were fucking, bringing drinks and food for the evil bastards. More unfortunate ones were being made to clean up in the middle of this bizarre orgy, scrubbing away at dark stains on the road and walls. More than one who was working were quickly pulled into the fleshy pile, clothing and pleas tossed aside. Some of the women just screamed without any connotation or legible words at all.

There were even a few who moaned, though Jaune could hear the forced nature of it, the shame and pain mixed with the unwanted pleasure. Those were honestly the worst sounds of them all. Worse than that though was the number of men not bearing any sign of the mercenaries who joined in on the rape. For every Black Dog participating Jaune guessed at least three civilians had joined in. These men must have been these women's neighbors once, perhaps even their friends and family.

It took Jaune a moment to realize the wagon had come to a halt near the end of the plaza, Dietrich nudging him to get out. Abuilding Jaune Realized must be the tavern loomed in front of them, two stories high and easily the largest building in the town square. Using all his willpower not to shake he stretched his legs and hopped from the cart, trying desperately not to land in anything other than dirt. Or to give himself away by vomiting from the horrid smell. Even as he followed Dietrich through the mob his hand never strayed far from the handle on his sword.

Entering the tavern, the scene inside was no better than outside, if anything it was louder. Black Dogs and men engaged in lust and gluttony on old table and rickety chairs. Booze flowed like water to the lips of mercenaries and cruel laughter mixed with the slapping of skin. Few cared to look to the two entering the building, busy railing away. A pair of orcs standing guard at the entry way snarled at the two as they entered, but otherwise let them pass. One poor brunette teenage girl was being taken by four men at once. The four men grunted in unison filling the woman's holes. The woman had only moments to cough and hack before a new group of men took their place. Jaune felt the bile rising up in him before Dietrich tugged him to the bar, rapping his fists on the empty counter.

Or seemingly empty, as a young woman who must have been around twenty hesitantly lifted her head from below the counter. Upon seeing who it was she seemed to give a sigh of relief and stood up from where she'd been crouched. She had blonde hair reaching down over a pretty face to her shoulders. The girl's eyes were a tired purple that went well with her pale white skin and blue robes. They strangely reminded him of a nun…well, if a nun's uniform wasn't ripped in places and barely held together with leather straps. Considering what was happening around him Jaune was doing anything not to look down there and focused on her face. "Mr. Everret, hello sir and…welcome to the Carnstein tavern. Where any-Where anything you de-desire-"

"Yes, Lily I get it. I'm sure the sayings very clever." Dietrich cut her off, though in a tone quieter and gentler than Jaune had heard from him before. He sat down at the bar, indicating Jaune to do the same. "I was ordered to drop off some supplies for the garrison here. Do you want them unloaded here or somewhere else?"

"No, the two of you d-don't have to do anything. I-I'll send word to the commander and he should send some men to unload it. Though it might be some time before they get around to it. Would you like something to drink?"

"Two pints of ale, one watered down for the boy. And we'll need some rooms for the night."

"I see. Afraid we only have the one available. You'll have to share." Lily's eyes lowered for a moment, hands fiddling with the front of her robe. "And will you be ordering the usual level of accommodations sir?"

Dietrich stiffly nodded, taking out a few gold coins and setting them on the table. "For myself yes, for the boy no. after I pay him, he can pay for his own accommodations. For now, he'll take what I give him"

Lilly simply nodded and took the coins, scurrying off to begin filling the aforementioned cups. As she was working Dietrich turned to him frown on his face. He whispered to him in a low voice "I don't want you leaving the tavern for the rest of the night. Your tired from lugging crates and you need a rest."

"I am?" Jaune asked back, immediately feeling stupid as Dietrich glared at him. Jaune looked away from him as Lily placed a drink in front of each of them, Jaune quietly thanking the girl who seemed surprised at the words. When he turned back, he found Dietrich glaring harder as the girl went to fill other orders.

"Yes, you are and stop being nice. Around here kindness can get you noticed and that's not a good thing. It's around here at night, well more so than during the day anyway. And the taverns as good a place as any to rest and gossip." Dietrich stopped talking to take a gulp of his ale. Jaune made to follow suit, a bit curious having never tasted alcohol before.

Jaune didn't know what alcohol tasted like in his world, but if it was anything like the piss water he just tried he would never drink again. The foul liquid was almost sour in its warmth, burning its way down his throat. Jaune tried to keep it down but failed, the liquid spitting out over the countertop in front of him.

"Oy gents, look at that fucking pussy. Spat his drink out like a woman squirting." Raucous laughter filled the air as Jaune turned to the direction of the voice. He found himself staring at a young man leaning up in the corner, who couldn't have been much older than him. He had brown hair that hung loosely from his head to match with the cocky grin on his face. A small dog emblem was tattooed on his shoulder, irritated red skin showing it was freshly inked. "Fucks the matter with you, hardest drink you ever had come from your mum's teat?"

More laughter accompanied the joke as the men seemed to slow from their fucking, taking in the scene before him. Jaune felt his cheeks flush and his blood boil but kept his tongue. Dietrich on the other hand made to defend him. "It's the first taste of alcohol the boys ever had, his reaction is more than common enough."

"That so?" the cocky man pushed himself from the wall walking up to the pair. With a pluck of his wrist he grabbed Jaune's drink and downed it, giving a big sigh once he finished. "Seems alright to me, maybe your boy there is just a light weight."

"Perhaps." Dietrich shrugged taking a sip from his drink. "I suppose that would be a matter of opinion Douglas. Or should I call you donkey Doug?"

The other soldiers let out a noise of confusion as the now named Doug seemed to lose some of his attitude. "I…I don't know what you mean."

"Of course you do Doug, I remember you. Your father was Carlton the tanner from Redwood. Used to see you all the time at the harvest festival. I believe it was there you got your nickname."

"W-Well of course, all the girls know about Donkey Doug and how he slaps between the knees, both mine and theirs." Doug said this in a boastful manner, though a few of the soldiers in the bar let out some snickers.

"No. No, that wasn't it at all." Dietrich said with a mean grin coming across his face before finishing his drink to deliver the killing blow. "As I recall you got your name cause no woman would give it up to you willingly, so you settled for the livestock instead."

The men watching this scene roared in laughter, to the humiliation of the young man. Rage crossed the now named Donkey Doug's face as his fists shook. With an enraged roar he leapt forward swinging the cup to crack Dietrich across the face with it.

Jaune beat him to the punch. Quite literally as his hand snapped around Doug's wrist, aura infused fingers catching his wrist in a vice. Jaune however forgot his increased strength as he felt the bones snap. Jaune let go in shock as Doug let out a shriek, falling back to the floor and grabbing at his wrist. "YOU FUCK! YOU BROKE MY WRIST!"

Jaune only now realized his error as the men were no longer laughing, a few dozen eyes glaring at him. He awkwardly stood from his stool as some of the men began to rise from their tables. More than one had already placed their hands on the hilts of their weapons. Doug noticed this and sneered, rising to his feet with pained movements. He drew a knife from his belt with his uninjured hand, the metal flashing dangerously. "You two fucked up good. Now we'll show you what happens to stupid cunts like you. Come on men, let's gut them like their trout."

The men began advancing on the two, slowly and ominously circling in on them. Dread gripped Jaune's heart as the sound of swords began to unsheathe. Jaunes own hand began to reach towards his hilt, knowing how futile the fight would be in the end.

"Belay that command. This one doesn't give anyone orders." The men who had begun advancing on the two stopped in their tracks and turned towards the door as a single man entered. Black haired with tan skin he moved with purpose and power, muscles rippling with each step. He wore his brown vest open, the Black Dog symbol proudly tattooed on his chest, though interestingly it had the addition of a crown placed on top of its head. He was easily the largest man in the room, at least a head and a half over Jaune. On his hip was a curved blade, the handle a twisting gold with a steel cross guard. He stopped in front of the three. "Mr. Everret, would you mind explaining to me the situation?"

Dietrich nodded, placing his pint down and standing. "Of course, Commander Falkirk. We're so terribly sorry about this. We came to the tavern to deliver your goods as requested and to spend a few nights. My nephew and I were simply drinking after a long day's journey when this man provoked us. He stole my nephews drink and then tried to attack me. My nephew in response defended me, though the injury he caused was not intentional."

"Bullshit it wasn't intentional. My wrist is snapped clean through the bone." Doug yelled out holding up his flopping hand.

"Be quiet." Falkirk said with a growl eyes darting over to the man. Doug was in too much pain to stop himself, nor notice how the other men had begun to back away from him. "They were asking for it. They insulted me, and he tried to draw his blade on us."

"That's a lie, we did no such thing. We only insulted him." Jaune said from where he was standing.

Falkirk turned and walked up to the teen with heavy footsteps. Jaune to his credit stayed his ground even as the man towered over him. he stared hard into Jaune's eyes, the teenager finding his heart pumping from the intimidating seemed like he was trying to peer into his soul After a moment Falkirk looked over at the counter with a scowl on his face. "Girl, get up from where your whimpering and come over here."

Lily who at the first sign of violence had dropped behind the counter let out a small eep, quickly rising up and coming around the bar. She quickly stood in front of the commander, hands clasped below her waist. "Y-Yes Commander?"

The commander stared at her with dead eyes making the girl squirm in front of him. "Tell me, which one of them is lying to me?" He leaned his head down and indicated pointed at the side. Nervous eyes darting over to Jaune and the others before Lily leaned up on her tip toes cupping a hand to the commander's ear. The commander simply hummed as she whispered in his ear. After a moment she pulled away shoulders slightly shaking.

"I see, thank you girl." What happened next was almost too fast for Jaune to follow. One second Falkirk had simply raised his head and flexed his shoulders. The next he had lunged forward, grabbing Douglas by his throat and slamming him against the wall, his feet kicking in the air a foot above him.

Douglas's knife fell from his hand as his own clasped at the one strangling, trying to free himself in vain. "Co-Commander…please. Wh-Why?" He wheezed out as his lungs began to burn.

Falkirk simply sneered and squeezed tighter. "I could say I'm doing this because you lied to me. Or I could say because the man you intended to strike a friend of mine that provides much of the food that goes on our plate. But really, it's your weakness that disgust me. You let a boy get the better of you than called for help like a woman. You are not worthy to wear that emblem on your shoulder and the Black Dogs do not tolerate weakness."

With those final words Falkirk lifted the man up even further, letting him kick in the air before snapping his neck. Douglas's legs went limp along with the rest of him as if someone cut his strings. With a slight huff he tossed the corpse to the ground, the body flopping lifelessly on it. He then turned his attention to the men, more than a few flinching back. "Dump this trash over the walls then report for patrol assignment. I believe you lads just volunteered to take fifth squads' duty for the night."

"But commander. What did we do?" A soldier dared to yell out before promptly being punched to the ground, the man's nose snapping in the wrong way. He moaned from his place on the ground but otherwise did not move as Falkirk loomed over him

"You let yourself be manipulated by a mere nobody. That is what you did. Does anyone else have any questions for me, or are you going to follow FUCKING ORDERS?!"

The remaining men didn't need to be told twice, the men scrambling over each other to exit the tavern. A few stopped to grab the downed man, lifting him to his feet then grabbing dead Doug and dragging him from the building. Jaune did not fail to see that even as they were fleeing the premises, they still made sure to rob the dead man of his belongings.

Falkirk simply snorted and walked over to the two a hand coming up to scratch the side of his head. "Apologies for the trouble, controlling these idiots can be quite bothersome. Outside of fighting they're not worth much. Hah, what I wouldn't give to be back with Vault and my old squad mates at the capital." He said in an apologetic manner as if he hadn't just murdered one of his men in cold

"It…it is alright commander; these sorts of misunderstandings happen." Dietrich responded, clearly attempting to end the conversation in a polite manner.

"Still I do not take this sort of thing lightly. Compensation is owed when one party wrongs the other. My foolish subordinate caused a stain on my honor, and the honor of the Black Dogs. It must be cleansed away. Hmmm." The man hummed to himself raising a hand up to his chin in contemplation. His eyes swept over to the two men before shifting to Lily, the girl suddenly feeling very nervous to be the center of attention again. A small smile appeared on Falkirk's face at this.

"Boy. You ever have a woman in your life?" Jaune not daring to say much after watching the man snap his own soldiers' neck simply shook his head no. the answer or the way it was formed if anything made the commanders grin grow wider.

"Well, as a new resident of my little province we can't have that. Especially one who was able to impress me. Few men in this town would dare to look at me and not piss themselves in fear after words. From now on this girl belongs to you. When you leave, she may go with you. Do with her as you please."

Jaunes blood turned to ice as the implications of this became apparent to him. His eyes darted over to Lily, the girl's shoulders shaking slightly from what she'd just heard. Her eyes wouldn't meet his. "That very generous of you sir." Jaune spoke tactically, feeling anything but grateful in that moment. "I'm not sure I'm worthy of such a gift however."

"Nonsense. Your new and don't understand how things work here Jaune." Dietrich's voice cut in, forcing Jaunes attention back to him. the spy was smiling like he'd found a chest full of treasure. "A gift from the Black Dogs is a rare and worthy thing. Its customary when a lord offers his subject a reward that he accepts it with grace and gratitude. It would be seen as disrespectful to do otherwise."

Dietrich's voice came out in a pleasant and light but the message was clear. Shut up and accept before you get us killed. This became especially reinforced when Jaune noticed Falkirk's hand had lost his smile and begun inching his hand towards his sword. "I suppose we can find a use for her. Thank you for your generous gift."

Falkirk's smile returned, the man letting out a laugh as he slapped Jaune on the back. Even with armor and aura Jaune stumbled forward a bit at the strength of it. "That's the spirit. Now why don't you take your new property upstairs and leave the old men to their drinking. Your uncle and I need to catch up."

"Go on Jaune." Dietrich said to him, the spy giving him a hard look. "Go show her what a virile man you are."

Jaune felt numb at what Dietrich had said, couldn't believe he said it. What he was telling him to do sickened him beyond belief. Dietrich had a look that held no pity, as if to say this was on him.

Jaune in that moment didn't know what to say, though thankfully he didn't have to. A pair of soft hands encircled his wrists and he found Lily tugging him towards the stairs as the two older man sat down at the counter together. Jaune found himself being led past rooms where various moans and screams could be heard. It shamed Jaune that he felt relief at only having to hear the noises instead of seeing what was happening as well.

Finally, the two reached the end of the corridor, Lily pulling a key out of her robe and shakily putting the key in the lock. After one or two misses she succeeded with a click, the tumblers in the door turning and allowing them entry. The room was sparse with only a chair and dresser pressed against the walls, while a large bed dominated most of the room. Grey sheets and blanket covered the mattress.

Thunk! Jaune jumped a little as Lily closed the door behind the two, turning the lock with her key. She turned back towards him arms clasped under her chest. Her eyes still were aimed towards the floor. "So, master Arc I guess you're my new owner."

Jaune was caught flat footed by the comment. Of all the things someone had ever called him, a slave owner wasn't one of them. "I…I guess I am. It's not something I was trying for if it makes you feel better."

"What I want doesn't matter. In Kuroinu women are property. Though it does help a little." Jaune felt a punch in his gut at that statement. That she was able to say it so casually was devastating. He barely noticed as Lily lead him towards the bond, gently sitting him down on the edge. "Let me help you remove your armor master."

"Jaune." Lily looked at him in confusion so Jaune continued. "My name is Jaune, I'd prefer to be called that."

"In Kuroinu women are not allowed to address their owners by name. Punishments for doing so can be…severe." Lily said in her despondent tone unintentionally making him feel worse. "But in private I suppose that would be acceptable."

Without waiting to ask she began fiddling with the straps on his armor. Knowing he would have a hard time sleeping in them Jaune helped the girl, unhooking the vambraces on his arms first, followed by the pauldrons and the chest piece. Finally, he removed his sword and dagger. Placing the weapons on the dresser where they could be quickly reached.

Once all that was done silence passed between the two uncomfortable teens, Jaune stripped of his armor. Even fully clothed he never felt more naked in his life. With quivering hands Lily began to reach up to her own clothes, beginning to undo the straps. The cloth shifted accentuating her figure. "I suppose I should strip down as well."

The first strap had just started to loosen when Jaune's hand reach out and caught hers, though they did so gently. "Stop, this isn't right."

Lily looked at him surprised, eyes locked on his hands. "I-I don't know what you mean mast-Jaune." She bit her bottom lip, nerves showing plain as day. "Some men struggle with their first time. If you'd like I could get some wine to help calm the nerves."

"Its not my nerves Lily." Jaune said unable to meet her eye. "I can't do this. I can't force myself on someone who doesn't want me to."

For the first time Lily looked at him with something other than fear. It was replaced instead with a mixture of confusion and hesitation. "Th-That doesn't ma-matter here. As I s-said in Kuroinu property-"

Jaune finally looked up at her, shame and fury in his eyes. Though none of it was directed at her. "You are not property." The boy seethed, having just enough state of mind to keep his voice down. "You're not some thoughtless thing that I can do with as I like. What you want matters and I won't be like them."

"You have no choice." Lily said staring at him with sadness. With pity he didn't feel he deserved. "You'll never escape this country now that you're here. If you try, or if they think your not one of them, they'll kill you or do even worse."

Jaune closed his eyes and his shoulders hitched as he breathed in heavily. He lowered his head and Lily gasped as a droplet fell from his face. Jaune was futilely trying to hold back his emotions, to keep a hold on all the horror and dismay he'd seen in the few weeks of this world the killings, the raping and evil. Things no one, let alone a seventeen-year-old should see or be a part of.

"I'm not saying your wrong. I just…I can't. If I do this, if I cross this line, I'll never be able to face myself again. Never see myself as anything less than what I am now. I've only glimpsed their cruelty and even after seeing a full day of it I can't understand it. I can't see how people can inflict such needless pain and take joy from it. I can't be like them."

A pair of arms made their way around his shoulders, Lily whispering to him that it was alright, that everything would be alright. Jaune finally let it all go, let everything he'd pushed to the back of his mind go. The tears ran freely into the cloth of her rob, his quiet sobs silenced by the girl stroking his back. A part of him felt pathetic, knowing she had suffered so much worse than him, and yet she was the one comforting him. But most of him didn't care for in that moment he didn't have to feel strong, didn't have to think about the things he'd seen or the people he'd killed. or how much he wished he was home. He didn't even have to feel the girl's own tears fall in his hair as she laid him down and held him. instead she simply let him and herself quietly cry until no tears remained and exhaustion took them both.

For the first time in weeks Jaune had no nightmares.

* * *

When Jaune awoke the next morning, he felt a strange sort of lethargy. The skies outside his window were gray as rain plinked off the glass. He awoke to the feelings of arms surrounding him. he turned his head to see Lily asleep next to him, a tired but calm look on her face he never had seen on her awake. it made Jaune feel nice.

Quietly shifting out of her arms he exited the bed quietly, pulling up the covers over the sleeping girls form. She mumbled and tussled a bit but otherwise did not awaken. He dressed and armed himself, walking out of the room.

He found Dietrich waiting on the other side. Jaune quietly closed the door and locked it, having taken the key from Lily.

"Have a good night Jaune?" Dietrich asked his face giving away no emotion.

Jaune struggled internally to answer knowing he'd disobeyed him. with a shrug Jaune went with his tried and true method of partial truth. "I feel better in some ways than I have in weeks."

Dietrich stared hard at him, trying to read him. What the man saw Jaune didn't know but after a moment he simply turned away. "If you say so. Let the girl sleep. We can discuss her, and other things later."

Jaune shifted uncomfortably not liking the idea of leaving her behind. "Wouldn't she safer with us?

"She's got a locked door and the commanders orders keeping the others away. Right now, she's safer than anyone." Dietrich paused before turning back to Jaune an infuriated look on his face. "You on the other hand drew Falkirk's attention. I had spin quite a tale and buy a lot of rounds to make him lose interest. Next time think before you break someone's arm. Now put this on and follow me, somethings happening outside."

Jaune wanted to point out that it was Dietrich who insulted the deceased Douglas, but never got the chance. The man tossed a bundle of fabric in his arms and marched down the stairs. Jaune unfolded it to find a simple brown cloak in his arms. He wrapped the cloth around him and fastened it shut around him. how Dietrich knew his size Jaune could only guess, but it covered everything and fit snug around him.

Going down the stairs Jaune saw the first sign of something being wrong. The tavern was empty, the men the slaves were all vacant. Even the bar was left unattended, drinks and money sitting on the counter alone. Stepping towards the doors Jaune paused for a moment before raising the hood of his sweater letting it drape over his head before stepping out.

The rain was coming down, not in a torrent but enough that most people would have been driven inside. Instead they were lined up and down the streets, whispers echoing over the drops of rain. The cloak did a good job keeping the water from his eyes and Jaune soon found Dietrich hanging near the end of the street leaning in an alleyway. As Jaune walked towards him he noticed a line of Black Dogs formed on the sides of the road, the usually brutish and disorderly bunch standing at attention while Falkirk and a few others stood in front of what Jaune must have assumed was the garrison or barracks. The women in town looked different to, more dressed up and presentable. The rain somewhat ruined the former but the fact that the mercenaries weren't fucking them all senseless was odd.

"What's going on? Why is everyone lined up?" Jaune asked sliding up the spy. Dietrich only shrugged pointing towards the raised stage.

"Can't say for sure, but I'd wager they're waiting for someone. Or multiple someone's. Never seen these pricks stand in formation for anyone, not even when Falkirk was assigned here. I suppose its lucky in a way, the rain is washing away all the stench."

Jaune was about to say more when the whispers around them increased, drawing his attention back to the road. The gates were creaking open and once they had a contingent of horses made their way through them, Black dog riders flanking on the side. A score of soldiers escorted in a white and gold carriage tugging a cloaked cart behind it, the fabric on the latter completely soaked through. The contingent continued past, the soldiers making up it ignoring the occasional yells and murmurs of the crowd around it. Soon enough it stopped in front of the gathered crowd, Falkirk marching up to the golden wagon and opened up the door.

Whatever Jaune had been expecting to come out through those doors, he was sorely mistaken. A pair of grotesque and fat pig men exited from the cart, huffing as their feet made contact with the muddy road. They wore clothing of fine silk shirts, pants and jackets and even an elegant cloth around their thick necks. Though it did nothing to draw attention from their snort covered faces or clawed hands. Their clothes were inverted of each other, a mixture of pink, green and yellow. They wore no shoes, small hoofed feet scraping across the ground. They were large, nearly as big as orcs and far fatter.

"Ah the famous Mortadella brothers. Its been too long, I bid you welcome to Carnestein." Falkirk said extending an arm out towards the gathered crowd.

"Oink Oink, spare us the courtesy Falkirk, we didn't come for your hospitality." The one wearing a primarily pink jacket said. His brother dressed in green snorted in agreement. "Especially considering your recent failure."

Falkirk frowned, his hands tightening in a fist. "That failure was Throgg's and Throgg's alone. I gave him everything you instructed men, supplies and a list of targets."

"And yet he failed." Pinky, as Jaune now dubbed the one brother retorted back. "Perhaps you did not provide him with your best men. Or perhaps you do not have control of the situation here."

Whatever else Falkirk was, he was not a man easily cowed. He let his hand fall to his blade, a move that did not go unnoticed by the two pig men. "I have held this province in line for two years, and I will continue to do so. As I will get to the bottom of your subordinates failed raid."

"Oink, we shall see." The green Mortadella spat out, doubt seeded into his voice. Have at least gotten the other preparations ready?"

Falkirk nodded, allowing himself to relax. As much as he ever did anyway. "Everything has been readied as per your instructions. The meeting is set and your guests should arrive this evening. Do you think they'll be open to negotiation?"

The two brothers simply laughed to themselves, walking away from the commander and walking to the cart behind their wagon. "Why don't you answer that for yourself commander."

They put their hands to fabric and with a tug far stronger than their frames suggested they ripped the tarp away, exposing the caged individual beneath. The figure made no reaction, not to the downpour of rain hitting her nor the leers of almost all suddenly on her. For all she sat slumped there she might as well have been dead. The reactions of those lined up around her, both Black dog and civilian was quite the opposite. And progressively louder.

"Holy shit it's one of them."

"Can't be, no way they'd send one of them here."

"Open your eyes man, who else could it be?"

"Real or not, I want to fuck her until my balls are empty!"

"What the bloody hell is she doing here?" Dietrich growled, eyes open in shock as the men's jeers and cries mixed into an incomprehensible roar. Jaune for his part didn't answer, couldn't as he felt the symbol on his hand burning. It felt like fire was pulsing through his vein, and jaune grabbed it with his non-marked hand in order to keep it from shaking. Jaune should have been as confused as the rest of those gathered, but something deep within his soul rang out, filling his being with a basic knowledge of the situation.

In a backwards border town in the middle of nowhere, was a princess knight.

* * *

 **And done at just shy of twenty pages. Each of these chapters seem to be getting longer and longer, not to say that is a bad thing, but it does mean I'm going to stop setting release dates. Well Carnstein just sounds like a grand place, and Falkirk is just a generous man. Sorry Douglas, hate to see you go. So Jaune's new career as a spy is having a few hiccups. Not surprising since he has no training whatsoever. Is he succeeding? Well that depends I guess on how you view it. Finally, though we get our first intro to some canon characters. The Mortadella brothers made a non-speaking appearance in the anime, while Michelle was exclusively in the visual novel. Lily is technically also one, me having based her off one of the nameless victims of the earlier episodes. The plot thickens as trouble just seems to plague Jaune. What will happen next? And who is the mysterious princess to appear? Find out more next time.**


	9. A royal Visit

**Kuroinu chapter nine is ready to go. A new month with a new chapter, thank you all for the comments. Also, I've received a few messages telling me that Vaults name is actually Vult. I tried looking into this but wasn't able to find conclusive proof of this. Seems it's more of a pronunciation preference, like the two ways of saying potato, so I'm going to stick with Vault. Rated M for Kuroinu, italics= thoughts.**

* * *

A Royal Visit

Jaune's hand burned as he took in the fallen princesses' form. Her hands bound above her, water ran freely down her pale skin and pink hair. Though it was never easy to tell from a distance Jaune could tell that the girl was small. The top of Lily's head would at its highest been above his eyes; this girl on the other hand likely would have barely met his chin. A small gold crown adorned her head with a single small ruby gem, and her clothes were an expensive white dress with gold seams that would have hugged well to her voluptuous form if not for the rain causing it to cling and droop on her form. Jaune couldn't see her face, but he guessed it was beautiful like the rest of her. At least as beautiful as someone who seemed catatonic could be.

The pig brothers seemed to say something to Falkirk, though what was anyone's guess. That however became apparent as Falkirk waved his arm and with a flick of his reins the chariot and cart began to pull away, much to the groans and shouts of those gathered here. Jaune's eyes were trained on the princess until they passed over the threshold of the walled barracks before the wooden doors closed behind her and her captors. Once she was out of side the burning sensation in his hand seemed to abate, though it still pulsed slightly.

With the show being over the crowds began to mull about and dispersed, though thankfully with the rain the Dogs decided to take their activities indoors. As Jaune continued to stare at the gate he felt a hand seize his wrist in a vice like grip. Jaune's head turned to find Dietrich looking at him with a glare far more intense than his normal one. "Follow me."

Two words were all he said, and Jaune felt no need to test him. the two did not head back to the tavern, instead making their way to a secluded alleyway near the back of the town. Most of the populace were still up near the town square so the two seemed to travel unnoticed.

When Dietrich seemed to feel he had traveled far enough he looked both ways before turning his attention to Jaune. "I want to know something Jaune." Dietrich spoke in a hushed tone, lest any by passers picked up on him. "And I want the truth. Did you know a princess was coming here?"

Jaune was staring at the man not trusting himself to stutter. He shook his head no, a move that seemed to only make Dietrich angrier.

"No. No shaking your fucking head. I need to know **did** you know anything about this?"

"I've told you everything I know." Jaune snapped back, the old man's attitude starting to get to him. he stopped talking for a few seconds as a pair of patrolling Black Dog soldiers walked past them. Thankfully with the rain they didn't give the two more than a passing glance. Once they were out of sight Jaune continued. "I was sent here with the knowledge that something odd was happening here, and I was sent to investigate. If the one who sent me knew more, she didn't tell me."

Dietrich sighed at this, running a hand through his watered-down hair. "Oh, this situation is fucked. This is above our paygrade. I'm supposed to be watching for troop movements, not imprisoned royalty."

"Who was that girl?" Jaune asked curiosity eating away at him. better in that moment to focus on that than his anger.

"Don't they give you rookies intel anymore? **That** was Princess Prim Fiorire, former ruler of the city of Ur, the chief city of this misbegotten region. She's one of Emperor Vaults most prized possessions." Dietrich checked the alleyway again to make sure no one was approaching. "What the hell is she doing so close to the border?"

Dietrich obviously wasn't asking anyone other than himself that question, so Jaune decided to fill the silence. "So…what do we do then? They must have brought her here for a reason."

"Course they brought her here for a reason. No one under Vaults command would bold or stupid enough to do this for nothing. And whatever it spells bad news for everyone. Vault never lets his trophies leave the cities, let alone come to some town in the middle of fucking nowhere. But I'm not sure what to do. If I could I'd leave to send word back south. We can't just up and leave however, it would look suspicious. Especially since I announced we'd be here a few days."

"Not to mention the other party that's supposed to show up tonight. We don't know who they are."

"Right there is that." Dietrich acknowledged with a nod of his head. "Alright we can't make a decision without more information. So, here's what we'll do. You head back to the tavern and get some food. Then head up to the room and keep an eye on the gate. Anyone gets suspicious, you're just enjoying your new property." Dietrich said this part to Jaune and part to himself, and thus missed Jaune's wince at the term property. "In the meantime, I'll keep my ear to the ground, browse the merchant stalls and see of I can't pick up any tidbits of information. Gold spent can help loosen up one's tongue. Now get going."

Dietrich turned and walked off, quickly disappearing around the corner of the building. Jaune moved to follow him only to find the old spy to have vanished. Jaune sighed at this, beginning to walk back towards the town square.

It took a few minutes longer than necessary to make his way back to the tavern, and by the time he'd made it back it had turned back to the den of debauchery he hated. He did his best to ignore the moans and groans coming from the patrons to approach the bar. Lily's place had been taken by one of the old women from the labor camp. Jaune had requested a plate of food for himself and Lily, the old woman directing him to the kitchen in the back. A few women working the place gave him a cold glare before realizing he just wanted food. When he mentioned a plate for Lily, they gave him what must have been a rare appreciative smile. They worked quickly, shoving an assortment of meat and bread in a pair of bowls. Jaune made sure to grab a few apples from a nearby barrel. Thankfully no one was fucking in the kitchen, it seemed not even the Black Dogs wanted to risk spoiling their foods with fluids.

 _Thank the gods for that. I don't think I would have been able to eat in that situation_ Jaune thought to himself as he moved himself back upstairs. Approaching the room, he found himself in a bit of a pickle as he couldn't get the key with the food in his hands. After a moment of thinking he gave the door a slight kick, hearing a small gasp come from the room.

"Lily it's Jaune." The teen replied as he felt the heat from the bowls beginning to make his hands uncomfortable. "My hands are full; can you get the door?"

It took a few moments, but eventually the lock clicked open and the door was slowly opened revealing a slightly less tired looking Lily. Not waiting to say hello Jaune strolled into the room placing the food down on the dresser. He shook his hands a bit to dispel the heat from his palms. He began to reach up for the clasps on his cloak, only to find that Lily's hands had beaten him to it. "Thanks." Jaune said feeling a bit embarrassed.

"It's no problem." Lily said, undoing the cloak from around his shoulders and throwing it around the back of the old chair. She gestured to it, Jaune sitting down after a moment. "While it was nice to wake up alone for once, I'm surprised you went out into the downpour. Did something happen?"

"Yes." Jaune replied as his stomach decided to make itself known, giving a loud rumble. "I'll tell you about it after we eat first though."

From there the two sat in silence for a time, chowing down on a mixture of sausage and hard breads. It wasn't bad, but it was clearly cooked for the sole purpose of nourishment, not for taste or pleasure. _Not really surprising considering who they're cooking for on a daily basis._ Jaune's mind snarked at him before he took a bite of one of the apples. At the very least those were still sweet.

As the two were finishing their meals Jaune told Lily of the impromptu parade through the streets. About the pig brothers and the reveal of the princess. For obvious reasons he left out the conversation with Dietrich.

"Prim Fiorire. I haven't heard that name in quite a while. Never thought I would again to be honest." Lily said looking down into her bowl, spoon moving the remaining food in circles.

"Did you know her? Actually, can you tell me what happened? I mean how did a bunch of mercenaries conquer a kingdom?" Jaune asked downing the last of his bowl placing it to his side. As he grabbed another apple to munch on Lily nodded, a conflicted expression on her face. She placed her own bowl down as well, her stomach unable to eat anymore. After a moment of internal struggle, she seemed willing to share what she knew.

"I never spoke to her personally, but yes I knew her. Before…I was a slave in this lovely town I lived in Feoh where Prim's cousin Alicia ruled. I was a nun under Alicia Arcturus's knights of the Blue Rose."

"I'm sorry." Jaune cut in confusion plain as day on his face. "The knights of the what?"

"You haven't heard of us? I'm surprised, we were quite famous once even outside the borders of Eos- I mean Kuroinu." Lily said correcting herself quickly. "Back in the old days, before emperor Vault took over each of the main cities was represented by a different princess knight, a title the goddess Celestine would grant to the six rulers of her allied cities. Some were royalty like Prim and Alicia, while others were appointed to their positions. I don't really know how exactly the others were chosen. Regardless each ruler in addition to running their city states were also in charge of their military. Alicia formed hers under the Order of the Blue Rose. Before the dark queen's invasion, they had been tasked with defending Feoh and the sea coast of the kingdoms."

"A knight order huh? You know I always wanted to be a knight. Like those from the old stories who faced monsters and saved people." Jaune felt a bit of melancholy creeping in before he banished the feelings away. "So, if they were a knightly order would that have made you a knight in training?"

"Ha-Ha umm afraid not." Lily managed to squeak out, hands wringing themselves together. "I was tested like all the others, did my best but was determined not to be suited for the front lines. So, I was assigned to the nunnery instead. I cooked, cleaned, helped balanced the books and kept the records tidy. My sisters and I did all we could to help in a nonviolent manner."

"They forced you to be a maid? After only failing one test?" Jaune's mouth spoke before his brain could catch up. The blush that appeared on the girl's face made him realize just how deeply he'd placed his foot in his mouth. "I'm sorry, that was stupid of me to say."

"It's…okay Jaune. you're not entirely wrong." That answer did little to make Jaune feel better but if she noticed his discomfort, she didn't mention it. "The physical trials I passed fine, but the final test…I'm sorry I can't, I mean I don't wish to discuss it right now."

"It's quite alright. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Jaune said trying to pacify the girl while trying not to eye her leftovers. Ever since his aura had kicked in his hunger had intensified. For now, he had eaten enough to maintain himself, but he still hungered for more. "But if I might ask how does this relate to knowing Prim?"

"Right, sorry. Well princess Fiore was the first cousin of our lady Alicia, though they acted more like sisters. Well, Alicia at least as a big sister. Alicia introduced her to us when we first entered the order. Ur even at that time had a bit of a bad reputation amongst the cities, so her parents had her sent there when she was just a little girl. I believe she was supposed to return at some point, but a terrible disease ravaged the region. It killed thousands, both noble and commoner alike. Her parents tragically were not spared from its touch."

"She lost her parents then. Both of them?" Jaune said sympathy filling him up. However difficult his relations with his family, he'd never want to find out any of them had died.

"It was more than just that Jaune. She lost her parents but Ur lost its rulers, along with a sizable portion of its lords and people. Unrest soon followed and it was deemed to dangerous for her to return. Especially as she could not yet legally inherit her throne as she was too young."

"Well if she wasn't in charge who was?" Jaune asked finding himself engrossed with this tragic tale.

"For a while no one. Most of the nobles in position to take up the mantle perished from the disease, the others squabbled as nobles do. Eventually Alicia intervened, and it was decided that a family called the Pantielle's would take over. Temporarily until Prim's sixteenth birthday. They were an older family from Feoh with ties to Ur, so they seemed ideal for the position. Well respected, at least most of them were. The youngest one, Michelle was a disgusting individual. Didn't know the meaning of restraint or respect. Or to say no to another serving of food."

"Sounds like a prime candidate for Vault. I think I can see where this is going." Jaune responded, knowing the story was going to get worse. "For someone working a bar you seem to know a lot."

Lily simply nodded her head, cheeks burning a bit in embarrassment. "Well before this I was in charge of the ledgers and correspondence between the two cities, I occasional might have peeked at the contents. It got boring sometimes in the temple. And after words, well…men tend to talk a lot when they drink, and the black dogs are always drinking."

"When the Black Dogs attacked us Feoh and Ur were the first two cities to fall. Feoh should have been able to hold, at least for a while but we betrayed. Feoh's prime minister Beasley opened the gates to the invaders, and most of our soldiers fell before they had a chance to fight. The keep was taken shortly after. My sisters and I had been captured and were used as hostages. They threatened our lives, raped and used us to convince Alicia to surrender, promised we and Prim would be safe if she would just lay down her sword."

Jaune sighed, any appetite left over now gone. "I'm guessing she did what they said."

"It was so stupid." Lily said her hands gripping her robes, the knuckles nearly white. "A part of her must have known they were lying. That they couldn't be trusted. We begged her not to do it, to let us perish and remain strong. Feoh castle had strong walls and thick gates, with a deep moat surrounding it. Taking it would have cost the Dogs a lot of manpower. They could have held out for months, maybe even a year. And that could have slowed them down. Perhaps even given the other cities time to prepare and stop them."

"Or they might have just killed everyone and moved on. A hard choice to make. To keep yourself safe while everyone else suffered. Maybe she thought it was the only chance she had, as desperate as that sounds." Lily snapped her eyes at him, the first angry expression he'd seen on her face. Not wanting to be on the receiving end of a woman's wrath he decided to alter course slightly. "So, if Feoh fell, then I guess Ur was next."

Lily held her glare for a second or two but seemed to deflate, eyes looking down in her lap. "Yes, Ur fell next, though how is a bit of a mystery. I wasn't there after all to see it. But when I was sent here with Falkirk, I saw Michelle alive and not in chains, so I can only assume it suffered a similar fate."

"Falkirk? You were sent with Falkirk?" Jaune asked, the girl nodding back in response.

"Yeah, Falkirk was one of Vault's original members. The Black Fortress is stocked with women from all over the empire for Vault and his cronies to enjoy. When Falkirk was assigned here he was given the right to choose one, outside of the princesses themselves. Fr-From my sisters he… he chose-"." Lily stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes closing as her fists clenched the cloth of her robe, body shuddering in distress.

Jaune hesitated for a moment before reaching over, slowly taking the girls hand in his. She seemed to flinch at the contact before relaxing as he rubbed a thumb over the back of her hand in circles. The shudders she'd experienced "We can stop if you wish. You answered my question and I don't want to upset you."

"Thank you, but I'm nearly finished." Lily said, eyes still shut. "It actually feels nice to say this, to tell someone who cares. Just give me a minute and don't let go yet."

"I won't, not until you want me to." Jaune said giving her hand a bit of a squeeze in response. For a moment the two sat they're in silence, both doing there best to ignore the sounds coming from the rooms surrounding them. Jaune took the moment to look out the window, but saw nothing of note seemed to have happened outside yet.

Once Lily calmed down, she opened her eyes and released his hand, continuing her story. "I'll spare you the details but obviously Vault didn't keep his word. His men and beasts ransacked the castle and pillaged it, in every sense of the word. None of us saw what happened to Alicia but word is she was given to Beasley as a reward for his treachery. As for Prim, my sisters and I saw first hand what they did to her. It's nothing a fourteen-year-old should have had to endure."

Fourteen. That number made Jaune want to hurl. He had sisters around that age. Not for the first time he was glad they were in Remnant. "Gods, she can only be sixteen, maybe seventeen at most. She's younger than I am. To lose her family and then suffer at their hands. She must have the worst luck in the world."

"I don't know if I'd go that far." Lily said getting a surprised look from Jaune. "Bad luck is something almost everyone seems to share in these days."

"Well, thank you for sharing your story with me." Jaune said, honesty in his tone. "I just want to say that I'm sorry. For everything you've gone through."

"Why? The fault doesn't lie with you." Lily asked in a reassuring way.

"Still, I feel you are owed an apology, and seeing as they won't I will. None of you deserve this."

Lily didn't say anything in that moment, couldn't really. All she could do was take his hand in hers and return the gesture he showed her earlier. A comforting hand shared between strangers.

* * *

Time thankfully passed without much incident, the sun seeming to set faster as if to shield itself in darkness. Dietrich had returned to the tavern some time in the evening, though if he'd heard anything, he didn't share that information. Whatever sympathy the old man might have held for Lily, it clearly didn't translate to trust. Dinner came soon enough and the three found themselves eating up in their room, as comfortably quiet as they could to the increased sounds surrounding them. The downpour had only increased as the darkness took hold of the small town.

Jaune had just finished his second serving of lamb pie and cooked carrots when a shout came from outside, the creaking gate swinging open once again. The noise around them faded to loud boasts and cheers as the tavern emptied itself once again.

"About fucking time. I thought would never see our new guests." Dietrich said wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand. He walked over to the window pulling the murky glass open. "We got a good spot here, let's see who's paying our little shit heap a visit."

"Shouldn't we go down to the streets for a better view?" Jaune said standing from where he'd been seated.

Dietrich shook his head slightly. "No, I just got fucking dried off, and with this torrent we'll see just about as well up here as down there. Now get over here."

Jaune and Lily came to join him taking up positions at the window. Jaune stood to the right of the frame while Lily managed to squeeze her way in the middle. From Jaunes position he felt the rain splash against his eyes, so he pulled up the hood of his sweater over his head to block the liquid.

What marched through the street was different than earlier. Soldiers in colorless plate and wooden spears marched in formation, spears and shields held high on their horses. They weren't black dogs, they wore armor for starters, and sported no heraldry. Second, they seemed to eye the populace of Carnstein with a suspicious manner. They escorted carts filled with barrels and crates through the streets, the muddy unpaved roads getting them stuck on more than one occasion.

"That's a lot of foreign soldiers Falkirk's letting in. Pretty well armed to. Must be at least a hundred of them." Dietrich said watching the small host enter in formations of four.

"Do you know who they are master Everett?" Lily asked turning her head towards him. Dietrich shook his head, not taking his eyes off the street. "No, though I could make a guess. Let's wait and see who's leading them before jumping to conclusion."

They had to wait a few minutes more as the caravan trundled through. As the last of the carts were brought in and the gates sealed once again a small group of riders seemed to pull up the rear. Unlike those surrounding them they wore well sewn cloaks over there armor, with fur and gold chains holding them together. They road without any particular rhyme or pattern to them. Jaune found himself drawn to one rider in particular though. A thin man riding high on his horse, his familiar green cloak clashing with his purple doublet.

Jaunes suspicions were confirmed when the man lowered the hood of his cloak and began to turn his head.

Jaune virtually threw himself out of view on the window, his leg banging into the dresser as he hid from view. Dietrich turned his head sharply at the noise of knee hitting wood. "The fucks wrong with you Jaune? you act like you saw a ghost."

"Not a ghost." Jaune said as he sat himself down on the edge of the bed, his heart pounding from the rush of adrenaline. "I recognized one of the riders. That was Lord Percival of the Frostlings. From the empire."

"Are you certain of this?" Dietrich said quickly shutting the window as quickly and quietly as he could. "You're not mistaking him for someone else?"

Jaune shook his head, lowering his hoodie while Lily took a seat next to him. "No, I'd know his face anywhere. When I was in Jacinda he tried to arrest me on trumped up charges. If Iva- if a local legionnaire hadn't stepped in, I'd probably be swinging from a rope right now."

Lily seemed to stiffen at that proclamation and put an arm around his shoulders while Dietrich cursed and put a hand through his hair. The former frankly didn't seem to notice his near name drop of the praetorian. "Fucking unbelievable. Did anyone else stand out to you? Or better yet was anyone else in Jacinda at the time they tried to cart you off to the dungeon?"

"I didn't recognize anyone else of note, but when he tried to arrest me, he had dozens of guards with him." Jaune admitted from where he was sitting. "They all had helmets on at the time, I can't guarantee he didn't bring any of them with him."

Dietrich's face seemed to take on a peculiar shade of red in that moment, Jaune was reminded of cartoons where a tea kettle would let of a burst of steam in place of swearing. Dietrich seemed to stop himself just in time, a hand coming up to pinch his nose as he exhaled out deeply.

"Well that settles things then." Dietrich said releasing another deep sigh. "We're leaving at first light tomorrow. Girl go grab some more food from the kitchen and a bottle of wine before the locals return."

He flipped Lily a gold coin, the girl scurrying off to do as she was told. She shot Jaune a look he couldn't identify for a moment before exiting the room and shutting the door behind her.

Once her footsteps had retreated down the hall Jaune turned back from the door, a questioning look on his face. "You said we couldn't leave for a few days. That it could draw suspicion on us."

"I did. And it very well might draw the wrong kind of attention" Dietrich admitted with a small shrug. "But that was earlier when our operation was still feasible. That's no longer the case."

"So that's it? We just give up and walk out with nothing?" Jaune asked irritation piling up in his voice.

Dietrich no less annoyed responded back. "Not nothing, we know that a princess was brought here and that one confirmed and several suspected imperial nobles crossed the border in violation of the emperors order. We need to send this news back to the right ears. If the legion can catch them sneaking back to the border, they can get the needed answers we need from them. Then we might be able to plan our next move."

"Assuming they catch them and assuming we beat them back in time to give them that chance." Jaune stood up from his seat to move closer, desperately trying to keep calm. "Otherwise its just our word versus theirs. Even if we do catch them, unless they have any evidence on them to incriminate them, they'll just proclaim to be on patrol or some other bullshit. We could wind up with nothing."

"And that is the risk we will take." Dietrich snarled getting in his face. "What do you want us to do, fight the entire town ourselves? We couldn't take the hundred men that were stationed here, now there's more than twice that number. You young ones are so eager to march to your own deaths. All of you want to be fucking heroes, as if that means anything."

"That's better skulking in the shadows and doing nothing." Jaune snapped back, his patience with the curmudgeonly old spy finally at his limits. "You've lost everything you had and only seem to exist to piss people off. You looked at me yesterday as if what happened was my fault, but that situation could have been avoided if you'd just kept your mouth shut. And I can guess what kind of catching up you did with your dear friend Falkirk yesterday. And at who's expense."

Shaking in rage Jaune spat out the next part shaking in anger. "I'd rather die young and stupid then become you. A wizened hateful old man with nothing to live for."

If Dietrich had looked pissed before, his face was livid now. A hand gnarled and wrinkled grabbed Jaune by his hoodie, attempting to draw Jaune towards him. his voice came out barely as a whisper he was so furious. "Listen to me you little fucker and listen good. I've given my life and my soul to serve a cause greater than myself. I did it before you were born and on your current path, I'll do it long after the worms eat you. You think whatever I did yesterday was bad? I have done things far worse. Things that make me hate myself far more than you ever could. And I will again if that means my homeland doesn't become like this hellhole. If that means fucking your little slave raw as she screams in front of the whole town, then so be it."

Jaune passed his limit. His hand flashed forward to grab the old man by his throat, a good amount of robe coming to join it. He lifted the old man in the air and pressed him against the wall. Dietrich flailed and kicked at him, but to Jaune it felt like being hit by a toddler. His experience from yesterday was the only reason he held back at all, just enough not to inadvertently crush his windpipe. "Go on, say something else. Tell me how I'm stupid or how I don't know what I'm doing. Or maybe tell me something I don't already know. Try and justify to me any of what happens here."

Dietrich against all that seemed to try just that, but all that came out was a small wheeze. His eyes were rolled to the side looking away from jaune towards the door. A small part of Jaune was screaming at him to stop, but his anger was still in control. He did let up the pressure just a bit. "Care to repeat that, while you can still talk?"

Dietrich wheezed his answer out, his voice barely legible. "Whe…Where is the girl?"

It took Jaune a moment to figure out what he was talking about. When he did it made his blood run cold and his anger evaporate.

Lily hadn't returned from the kitchens yet. Jaune released Dietrich from the wall, the old man falling coughing and hacking to the ground. Not that Jaune paid him any mind as he bolted out of the room. The tavern seemed empty enough, the crowds still gathered to watch the proceedings outside. The barkeep gave a surprised shout as he leapt the staircase bannister, landing eight feet down to his feet. Without stopping he marched down the hall towards the kitchen.

In the kitchen he found Lily pinned to the wall, a pair of men pawing at her like a dog would a piece of meat. Her body shuddered and her were eyes shut as they pulled at her robe. Neither had weapons or emblems of the black dogs on them. They looked like civilians. Maybe a decade or two older than he was, and a little taller than him as well.

Not that it would have made Jaune less furious as he laid a kick to the closest ones back, the man flying into a table full of food. Plates of food and wine came crashing to the ground as the man rolled over the top to the stone floor below. The other turned to throw a fist at him, wild and without finesse. Jaune simply side stepped it and shoulder checked the man to the ground. The older man hit the floor hard, the air being driven out of his lungs.

Seeing neither one getting up soon, Jaune turned to his friend laying a hand on her shoulder. The way she flinched at his contact made him want to go beat the men down, but his concern outweighed his rage. "Lily it's me, its Jaune. You're alright."

Lily didn't say anything, simply opened her eyes to see the blond teen. When she did, she latched onto his arm. He began escorting the frightened girl out of there, when one of the two scumbags spoke up.

"Where the fuck is you going you little shit." The main he'd shoulder checked to the ground rose to a shaky knee, hands on his hips to keep him upright. "Don't you know it's a capital offense to deny a man his rights in Kuroinu?"

Jaune turned back to the pathetic man a look of disgust on his face. "She's not yours to have. Leave while you still can."

"Yes, she is. Just like every other woman in this place." The man said rising to his feet, hand reaching to a nearby table to snatch a knife from it. "They're all just warm cunts waiting for a dick to fill them. So, the Black Dogs have decreed. And now I realize you're the cunt that got Douglas killed. He was my friend. There isn't no one going to take your side if I try to cut your throat."

"The commander might." The man turned his attention to Lily, who was peeking out from behind Jaune. "The commander made him my master, and I his property. How do you think **Falkirk** will react if he finds out you tried to touch me without permission? Or how the dogs will react when I tell them how you ruined their dinner?"

Whatever arrogance the civilian had seemed to vanish as he looked around the kitchen, food and drink spreading around the floor. With a shaking hand he dropped his knife, running over to his buddy and lifting him from the floor. "You fucks are going to get what's coming to you, just you wait."

 _How fucking cliché_. Jaune thought as he watched the two men flee the kitchen. Realizing they didn't want to be here when the mercs came back in, the two headed upstairs empty handed. Entering the room, they found Dietrich having pulled himself into the chair, a hand rubbing at his throat. Upon seeing them he only had one thing to say. "So, can I safely assume we won't be having breakfast tomorrow?

Neither of the teens said anything, so Dietrich stood up with a groan and just walked out of the room, hissing for them to be ready to leave at dawn. Neither of them said much after that, Jaune proceeding to simply lay down on the bed without bothering to take off his armor. Lily followed suit, laying down next to him. they laid in the dark for a while. Jaune didn't quite know what to say, when he felt something warm and moist press against his cheek. It was a brief sensation, one that made his cheeks flush. By the time he turned his gaze towards her Lily had turned on her side facing away.

Jaune found himself staring at the ceiling most of the night.

* * *

The light hadn't quite begun to rise when Jaune was shaken from his slumber. Dietrich stood over him, his usual frowning face looking down at him. He didn't say anything, didn't give Jaune time to say anything either as he simply placed a small cloth wrapped basket by his side and walked out the door. Jaune reached over to unfold it, finding a small assortment of cheese and fruit lying within. Unsure of what to feel Jaune simply sat up and gave Lily's shoulder a small shake. The blonde teen sat up with a yawn, reaching over to take a piece of the offered food. The two ate together in the blessed silence, feeling no need to break it other than with the consumption of their food.

Soon enough the three found themselves outside the nearly deserted streets, the rain from the previous day having reduced to a light drizzle that was quickly disappearing. Jaune had his cloak wrapped tightly around him, while Lily wore Dietrich's', the older man having eschewed his for his lighter jacket. It took only a few minutes for Jaune to repack the now empty barrels and crates into the back of the cart. Helping Lily into the middle Jaune hopped up next to her. With a flick of Dietrich's reins, the horse snorted and pulled, the cart moving considerably easier than the last time.

Leaving Carnstein was surprisingly easier than entering it had been. The guards, perhaps tired or hungover or both hardly glanced at them before waving the trio through the gates. As bad as Jaune felt leaving those people behind him, he was also relieved to be out of that place. Though that hardly compared to the look on Lily's face as she looked at the plains and trees surrounding her. She still had a bit of nerves showing, there was also a sense of wonder and relief mixed in. She had a small smile that made her face seem to shine in the emerging sunlight. He unconsciously scratched the back of his marked hand, the glove seeming itchier for some reason.

"Well look who's got a smile on her face." Dietrich said, pipe in mouth and reins in hand. "Care to share your thoughts Ms. Sunshine?"

Lily blushed at the comment, though the smile stayed with her. "Well, I just...I didn't think I'd ever see anything but the insides of those walls again. It's an odd thing I admit, to take joy in simply seeing trees.

Dietrich said nothing negative to this, simply clearing his throat and turning his attention back to the road. "Well, you'll get to see plenty of those when we get to Two Rivers. The return journey would normally only take a few hours, but the muds going to slow us down some."

It wasn't soon after Dietrich's words were proven true. Further from the more used roads of Carnstein the roads began to turn treacherous. The horse thankfully kept its footing but the carts wheels would often tilt and sink down into the mud. More than once the cart would pull to a halt and Jaune would have to get out and push. Aura infused muscles made short work of the labor, but it was still an annoyance none the less and slowed things down.

As they journeyed on for a few hours' things seemed to get a bit easier. The emerged sun was baking the mud back to a semi hard state and Jaune had to push less and less. Eventually the cart was trundling along at a good pace as the three traveled in a comfortable silence. Dietrich simply refilled the plant in his pipe and continued driving while Lily was lulled by the sound of the shifting cart and had fallen back to sleep. Her head leaned on Jaune's shoulder and he was content to let her lay there. Despite where he was Jaune felt a moment of peace in the simplicity of it all.

He should have known it would be fleeting. As the cart rounded a copse of pine trees, they found a half dozen men blocking the road. Two in particular stood out to Jaune.

"Oh, Damn it." Jaune muttered as he shook Lily awake. "Any chance it's just a patrol?"

"seeing as they don't have horses and there isn't a score of them, I'd say no. I assume these are the friends you made last night." Dietrich said with a sarcastic tone as he deftly reached into his boot, placing it just within reach on his seat. "They don't look like they're making a social visit. I'll provide you with support from the cart, get over there and clean up your mess. Time for you to too abuse someone who deserves it."

Jaune didn't have time to snap back as the horse pulled to a halt, the cart jotting to a stop shortly after. The men were a mixture of civilians and black dogs, though clearly, they were the runts of the litter. Most of them weren't particularly muscled, and the blades they held were old and poorly maintained. One man in particular had a rusty wood axe leaned over his shoulder. As the men grinned and chuckled Jaune leaned over to Lily, withdrawing his knife and placing it down by his side. "Stay in the cart by Dietrich. If you have to, stick them where it'll hurt like hell."

Jaune hopped out of his seat, making sure his cloak didn't get snagged on anything as he walked forward towards the group. Getting closer he counted seven men waiting in front of him. he tried to appear relaxed, though one hand was firmly wrapped around his sword handle.

"Gentleman. Good morning." Jaune called out as he stopped a dozen paces or so in front of the gathered men. Seven he could now count as he had gotten close enough to do so. "I see some new faces amongst you. All of you friends of Douglas as well?"

"Cut the horse shit bravado boy. Commander isn't around to save you this time." The man he had shoulder checked to the floor cold out, crooked yellow teeth pulled back in a grin. "The lads and I are going to teach you what happen to uppity little shits like you."

"I suppose that's why you brought your new friends, considering what happened last time." Jaune said trying to keep calm as the men advanced on him. "I suppose negotiation is off the table? There really is no need for violence. You know they say strangers are friends you haven't met yet."

"Oh, we know you well enough **friend**. No one insults one of us without paying a price." One of the Black Dogs said pulling his axe from his shoulder. He began advancing faster than the others, barrel chest displayed to the sun. "If you desire an offer of negotiation, here's one. Lay down your arms and I promise you, well let you live long enough to watch us fuck your little woman into insanity."

Whatever unease Jaune felt vanish in a moment, his blue eyes taking on a sharp glint. "Well, at least I tried to be civil."

To Jaune it felt like he simply charged forward, but to the others it seemed an explosion of force. Crocea drew from its sheathe with a loud scrape, the longsword shining in the light. The lead man caught off guard by Jaunes change in demeanor raised his axe up and chopped down at the cloaked teenager, hoping to take his head off in a wild blow. Jaune lowered himself a bit to let the clumsy blow fly over him as he lunged forward, putting about two feet of steel through the large man's chest. The man stared down at the sword for a second before Jaune unceremoniously ripped it from his torso, sending the mans body flopping to the earth.

To their small credit the men reacted to their comrade's death quickly, raising their blades and charging with a cry. Jaune undid the clasp of his cloak, tossing it in the face of a charging man with a two-handed bastard sword. It flew into his face and as the man grasped to free himself, Jaune freed his head instead. A third got his face smashed in and flew back as Jaune deployed his shield, the mecha shifting heater clanging in the quiet of the woods. The thrashing man on the ground was finished off by a quick stab into his neck.

The remaining for men were no longer laughing as they watched three of their friends get butchered. They no longer saw a timid weak boy, but a dangerous enemy armed and armored. One of them, the sole remaining black dog calculated his odds and thought the cart might make an easier target. As Jaune began advancing on them the man in question began sliding over to rush the two weaker opponents.

He got in arrow in the eye for his trouble, Dietrich having retrieved his bow and firing it true during the confrontation. One of the men snapped his head to the side to see the black dog fall to the ground. It proved to be a fatal mistake as Jaune capitalized on it and disemboweled him.

Watching their men die so quickly had an impact on the last two remaining men. The first one screamed in terrified rage charging and swinging his blade wildly at Jaune. Jaune for his part simply raised his hand and let the back of his armored glove take the blow. It scraped across the metal and cut into his leather, but went no further as Jaune sliced the man from hip to shoulder. The rage left the man's eyes first, then the terror and finally the man himself all within a few seconds as his corpse crumpled.

The second, and the ringleader who started this all lost what borrowed courage he had. Seeing how useless it was he dropped his blade and ran as fast as he could, circling around Jaune towards Carnstein. Dietrich nocked an arrow that took the fleeing coward in the back, but after a moment the man got up and kept running. "Don't let him escape Jaune."

He didn't have to tell the knight twice, Jaune already sprinting past them to catch up to the running man. His quarry had a head start, but also an arrow sticking out from him. And Jaune was just faster thanks to aura. As Jaune closed the distance the man looked back at him, fear running rampant he began to gibber. "I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY LEAVE ME ALONE. I PROMISE I'll NEVER BOTHER YOU OR THE GIRL JUST LET ME GO."

Jaune caught him a minute later, the man still begging up until the point Jaune drove his sword through his back. The once running man jerked up, his eyes drawn to the sword point now existing in front of him "LET me GOOOoo." The man rasped out as he feebly tugged at the blade with his arms, even as blood poured from his mouth and chest.

Jaunes hand shook slightly as he held the bloody handle as he sighed in resignation. He dropped his shield and placed his other hand on the man's shoulder, to steady the both of them. "I'm sorry, I really am. But you had your chance to walk away. You brought this on yourself."

With a quick tug Jaune pulled his sword free, the man collapsing at his feet. Jaune felt he was dead, but gave him another stab to be sure. When the body did little but twitch Jaune used a part of the man's robe to wipe the blade clean and sheathed it.

With a final shuddering breathe he turned and jogged back to the cart. Dietrich and Lily tensed for a moment before relaxing upon seeing him. Lily was sitting where she had been and Dietrich was shaking Jaune's cloak free from one of the corpses. The head tumbled free from the cloth and Dietrich tossed it in the back of the cart. "Did you get him?"

Jaune nodded and Dietrich seemed to let out a sound that seemed approving. "Good, now let's get the fuck out of here."

"What about the bodies?" Jaune asked walking up as Dietrich stowed his bow back in place.

"What about them? We have no shovel to bury them and were not showing up to Two Rivers with a cart full of corpses. That might get people's attention. I doubt Falkirk ordered this, he'd never be this sloppy. So, with any luck when they are found it'll probably be chalked up to a bad run in with the local bandits. Now let's go before a patrol strolls bye. Oh, and clean yourself up." Dietrich tossed him a cloth, indicating the blood on his armor that was already starting to dry.

Jaune did as he was told hopping up next to Lily, the girl shyly handing him back his knife. The cart began rolling along its previous path, past the corpses and the already gathering army of bugs and beasts drawn by the scent of death and blood. Jaune began to scrub his plate clean as they left the grisly scene behind them. Having cleaned as much as he could he balled the cloth up in hand and tossed it in the cart behind them. He leaned his head back, rubbing his temples in frustration.

 _Fuck Kuroinu._

* * *

 **So chapter 9 is wrapped up, I'm already in the process of working on chapter 10. The two were supposed to be in the same entry but I felt it was running a bit to long. Hopefully that means I get the next chapter out quicker So Dietrich and Jaune had a little squabble, not sure Jaunes taking to the spy business to well. To be fair he doesn't have the same relationship with Dietrich as he does with Karloff. And Jaune gets to put his sword to some use again. Also I know some people might say Beasley's name is Beardsley, but I find that name to be stupid so we're sticking with the former. As for what happens next chapter, well my hand is itching in anticipation. Thanks for reading and see you at the next update.**


	10. A Bad Plan

**We have reached chapter ten. The holy double digit of numbers. Jaune and company seemed to have made it out of Carnstein relatively unscathed, or so thing might seem. Let's find out how things develop. Rated M for Kuroinu, italics= thoughts, bold = emphasis.**

* * *

A Bad Plan

As the cart pulled into Two Rivers, they drew the attention of the local masses. It was hard not to with Lily sitting between the two. The residents whispered and pointed as the cart made its way through the village. They were watched as the trio made their way to the front of Dietrich's home but no one approached or asked questions. Dietrich's well-earned reputation kept them at a distance.

When the cart stopped rolling Dietrich gave out a sigh, rising from his spot with a groan. "Glad that business is over. Jaune take the horse to the stable and unload the crates. Rinse off before you come into the house, I don't need the place being stunk up. I'll take Lily find her something that smells a little less like a whorehouse to wear. My wife might have left something in your size."

Dietrich led the girl into his home as Jaune stepped forward, pulling the various straps holding the horse in place. Once freed the horse wasted no time following him to the aforementioned stable. The horse took only a moment to see the straw piled before it to lay itself down. The horse seemingly flopped on its side, a pleasured whiny seeming to spill from it.

"You have no idea how jealous I am of you right now." The horse for its part responded with a series of snorts, that tired Jaune could only interpret as laughter. He sighed and closed the pen door behind him to go unload the crates. It wasn't that hard, it was more tedious than anything. With a grunt he lifted the first crate and walked it to the back.

This process went on for about half hour before the cart was finally unloaded, and Jaune found himself stumbling towards the river as afternoon began to shift towards evening. By the riverside he shimmied down to his boxers, setting his belongings aside before jumping in. The rushing of the cool water over sweaty skin sent a chill down his spine even as his aching muscles cried in relief. Hands scrubbed through hair and dunked his clothes under the water as the grime of the past few days was swept away.

Once as clean as Jaune was capable under such conditions Jaune climbed out and wiped himself down with a cloth Dietrich had tossed him during work, before reaching into his sack to put on a pair set of clothes. The brown tunic and pants didn't fit nearly as well as his own clothes, but they would do while his others dried out. He rung them out to the best of his ability before heading back to the house. He took a moment to hang them on a line behind the house to dry out before entering.

Entering the house, he placed his armor and sword by the door with his bag. Entering the small kitchen, he found Dietrich sitting at the table with Lily, nursing a small bottle of wine between them of wine between them. Lily seemed to clean up nicely, a yellow and white dress replacing the blue nun robes she'd been wearing. The cloth though old seemed to fit well over her and fit well together. For a moment Jaune was going to ask what happened to her old clothes when he saw the fire roaring at full blast in the fireplace, a few singed scraps of blue lying close by. Lily seemed to notice to, as she picked the pieces up and tossed them into the roaring flames.

"Sit down Jaune. I feel we have a bit to talk about." Dietrich said motioning to the chair in front of them. Jaune wordlessly sat down at the table, Lily passing a small cup of wine over to him. he hesitated for a moment before picking it up and taking a sip. It was a bit bitter, but overall had a sweetness to it over the swill he'd failed to drink in the village. If nothing else he was able to at least keep this down.

As Jaune looked down at the red liquid in his cup Dietrich decided to speak. "While you were outside, I decided to fill Lily on who we are, and why we're here. No point keeping it a secret now, not after she saw us kill those men."

Jaune looked over to Lily, the girl giving him a small nervous smile. One that made Jaunes stomach twist a bit uncomfortably. "Sorry I had to lie to you Lily. I wasn't trying to use you or anything."

"Its alright Jaune. I understand." Lily responded back, her eyes still looking down at the liquid in her cup. "You were just doing your job, you still chose to help me. And you fought to keep those men away from me. I can't tell you how grateful I am for that."

"Forgive me my dear but I'm not." Dietrich cut in, a stern look on his face. "Why the hell did those men come for us? I knew you had a run-in last night, but I thought it was settled since the town guard didn't slap chains on us. For them to disobey Falkirk and come after us? That takes more than a simple dispute."

"Yes well, those bastards tried to take Lily last night. I made it clear that wasn't happening. When Lily mentioned Falkirk's name they went running off and I thought that would be the end of it. I didn't think they'd be so stupid to come after us like that." Jaune responded back with a bit of bite in his voice. "Are you saying I should have done nothing? Or just stood by and let them harm us on the road?"

"Course I'm not saying that. I'm saying you nearly blew our cover. If that girl didn't have more brains than you, we might be sitting in a cell right now. The violence on the road was simply unavoidable, and perhaps not unexpected. Black dogs do tend to hold a grudge, no matter how small." Dietrich acknowledged with a nod of the head before suspicion came across his face. "What was unexpected was how easily you killed them. I won't say those were the best of Falkirk's men, but seven men would be difficult for even an experienced agent. And you slaughtered them like nothing."

Jaune sensed the last line was more questioning than anything, so he decided to deflect it. "Well…they weren't that good. And they only attacked a few at a time. If they'd come all at once it would have been more difficult. We just got lucky."

Dietrich wasn't so easily dissuaded. "And the way you batted a sword stroke away with nothing more than a glove hand? Was that just luck as well? Because I saw it cut through your leather and yet see no blood or wound on you. The blade simply bounced away. And for the briefest of moments you were glowing."

 _I WAS?!_ Jaune thought to himself, not having noticed during the fight. Tired and frustrated from the past few days, Jaune decided to stop trying to deflect. "Dietrich, if there is something you want to say just say it. I can't deal with your paranoia and I don't know what you want from me."

"What I want to know is what you are, because you are no spy." Dietrich said frankly, downing the last of his cup and slamming it on the table. "I'm not saying you're an enemy, but its clear you had no training. No instincts to keep your head down or blend in. And you seem to simply attract trouble, which for my line of work is a bad thing. So, will you tell me what your hiding? What Ivalice decided not to mention in her reports?"

"No. I won't." Jaune answered, surprised at how quickly the words flowed out of his lips. "You're not wrong Dietrich, there's more to me than you think. Ivalice knows what it is, in part because I had to tell her but also because I trust her. She got me out of that jam in Jacinda, one that may have cost her position standing in the long run. She could have let me be slapped in chains, it would have cost her nothing to do so. Instead she treated me with respect and helped me. She earned the right to know. You simply haven't."

For a moment Dietrich said nothing the older man trying to pierce the younger with a withering glare. Jaune for himself didn't give an inch, the two men not breaking eye contact. Finally, the test of wills ended when Dietrich broke first, eyes brimming with frustration. "Fine, keep your bloody secret. If anything, it'll make the next step easier."

Jaune felt the tension leave somewhat from his shoulders, though not completely. Lily let out a small sigh between them, drawing a muttered apology from the two males. Embarrassed Jaune decided to change course. "So, the next step. What do we do now?"

"We?" Dietrich asked, his expression incredulous to Jaunes annoyance. "We are doing nothing. Carnstein is closed to us now, we only got in the first time because Falkirk ordered it. You and the girl are going back south. Tomorrow evening at the latest."

"Forgive me Mr. Everret, but with the princess here won't the border be closed?" Lily asked, her tone of voice hesitant but hopeful. "I can't imagine them letting us simply walk through."

"On your own certainly not, but where there's a will, there's a way." Dietrich said reassuringly to the girl. "Most of these pricks can't spell their own names let alone read. I have some old documents from Falkirk I can scrub up to look like official orders for crossing, that should get blond and violent over there through. As for you, my cart has more than one hidden compartment in it, one in particular large enough to hold you. Place a few crates on top and drill a hole for air and you'll be golden."

"Bu-But the princess and the mission." Jaune stated as he felt his hand throb under the glove. "We don't know why they're here. Or where they will be leaving afterwards. Couldn't we just send a message across the border, then try to get more information?"

"If I could send a letter right now I would, but the risk is to high. Someone has to inform the legion and you and the girl will move faster than an old codger like myself. Get them in time and the legion can capture those traitors. Hell, perhaps they'll even have the princess with them."

"That depends on them coming back on the same route though. They could take another route, or even head west to take a ship from Feoh." Lily piped in from where she had been sitting.

"I won't lie, all of that Is a possibility." Dietrich said with a slight shrug. "Capturing them is a priority, but that can only happen if we inform the legion."

"And Carnstein? What about all of the woman trapped there? Some of them are my friends." Lily responded back. "I don't like the idea of leaving them behind."

"Never said that I liked the idea of it, but this is our best option. The Frostlings must be secured and the Black Dog's schemes thwarted."

"It'll be alright Lily. Maybe telling the legion is the best course of action." Jaune said even as another pulse seemed to emanate from his hand. _What the hell is wrong? Did I sprain it?_ Jaune gave his head a slight shake returning to the conversation. "Once we capture Percival and the others, I'm sure the legion will make them talk quickly. They could help us liberate Carnstein, maybe even the entire region. It would send a message to the dogs and make them think twice about messing with them. Right Dietrich?"

Jaune turned to look at Dietrich, expecting the old man to say something in the affirmative. To say anything really that would be soothing to the girl. That he said nothing, and failed to quite meet his eyes caused a pit to grow in his stomach. "Dietrich, the empire would do something right? I mean they can't just leave Falkirk and his kind to run amok, right?"

Dietrich for perhaps the first time since Jaune met him looked uncomfortable. His eyes seemed to focus on the table. "Your right about Falkirk, and Carnstein as a whole. The emperor won't tolerate their actions against him, but I don't believe he'll choose to capture Carnstein."

"But…But that makes no sense. They can't simply let Falkirk's men keep raiding their region." Jaune said in protest.

"Yes, they can't ignore them. But an invasion to capture the region would be costly. Such an endeavor would need substantial food, equipment and a force capable of subduing and controlling the region. One which would need to be drawn up quickly and strike before the Black Dogs could call for reinforcements. With winter just a few months away most of the empire is preparing for the hard season. The lords will be more than hesitant to send their most able men to battle with the harvest drawing near. There are simply to many variables that make subjugation risky. To be blunt there are cheaper and quicker ways to deal with the problem."

"And those quicker ways…those would be what exactly?" Lily asked the hesitation in her words reflecting how both her and Jaune's feelings.

Dietrich sighed, his eyes rising up from the table to meet them. "If you can't cure and control a diseased animal, then your only option is to put it down. The emperor will likely send a force before winter, not to liberate Carnstein, but to raze it to the ground."

"WHAT?!" Jaune and Lily yelled out in anger and fear respectively. "He…He can't do that." Jaune said completely ignoring the sudden pain in his hand. "He can't just kill everyone."

"Of course he can. The goal is to stop the Black Dogs from raiding, not to begin a conquest. That besotted town is the only real stronghold the dogs have close to the Frostling border. And Carnstein is a settlement primarily built from wood. Wood houses, wood taverns even the walls are wood. Taking it would require substantial forces and time, but destroying it would require only a portion of the men. A small host of soldiers with sappers and a few barrels of hot pitch could light that place up like kindling in a bonfire."

"Bu-But all of those people. The women and children enslaved there. There's no way they'd escape from an attack like that. Th-They'd all die!" Lily stuttered out eyes wide in horror. A small amount of moisture had begun to gather in the corner of her eyes.

"Most likely your right. In military operations there are rarely instances where the innocent are left untouched and unbloodied." Dietrich acknowledged. "I don't say this to be cruel, but the emperor has to weigh the wellbeing of his subjects over those of a foreign power. While Carnstein stands it will serve as location to strike at the empire again and again. To him he'd see the sacrifice of a few hundred peasants as an unfortunate but necessary step to ensure the empire's safety."

"Easy to say when you don't have to make the sacrifice." Jaune said, arms crossed angrily over his chest. "This isn't right, I came here to save people, to be a hero to them. Not to lead them like lambs to the slaughter. There has to be a better way, something we can do to help them."

"If you have any ideas by all means tell me. Tell me what the three of us can do that would possibly help change anything."

Neither Jaune or Lily said anything, their minds were drawing a solid blank. After a moment Dietrich sighed, standing up from the table. "That's what I thought. I know this is hard for both of you, that it seems we're doing nothing to help them. But sometimes doing nothing is the smartest thing, and you will be helping to save lives. Its just…Help yourselves to whatever's in the pantry then get some sleep. Tomorrow you two are leaving here and that is that. If your smart, you'll cross that border and never look back on this cursed land."

Dietrich walked away from the table, his eyes refusing to meet either of them. At the doorway in the kitchen he stopped for a moment and seemed to turn back as if to say something. Whatever it was seemed to catch in his throat, as he only let out a frustrated humph and exited the room. Jaune turned towards Lily, wanting to comfort the girl, to say anything that had meaning but Lily seemed uninterested in listening. She stood up from the table and went in the opposite direction of Dietrich, closing a pair of doors behind her as she did so.

Jaune could only mutter in frustration, he opened the pantry cupboard grabbing a few slices of cheese and salted pork, tossing the combination into a bowl before sitting down to eat. Lily was upset and needed a bit of time to herself. He frankly needed some to after hearing what would likely be Carnstein's fate. When she was ready, he'd talk to her, but for now his stomach was grumbling, the assortment of food they'd brought with them on their return doing little to stave off the void in his gut. He picked up a piece of pork and bit into it.

The meat fell from between his lips as the throbbing in his hand soared. The pork clunked to the tabletop as he clutched at the hand, the light seeming to shine out even from under the torn leather. _Would this thing give it a rest already!_ Jaune thought to himself as he picked up the spat-out meat and did his best to keep eating. _Maybe if I just ignore it, it'll go away on its own._

* * *

It wasn't going away, nor would it give him or itself a rest. The mark seemed only to grow worse as afternoon gave way to eve. After the events of the day Jaune decided to turn in early to try and get some rest, but soon found that to be impossible. Any attempt to close his eyes was met with a throb, every attempt to get comfortable was met with a stinging sensation. Even as the light began to recede from the outside the light on his hand only grew, even beginning to shine out from under his glove.

After about an hour of this Jaune had enough. With a snarl he sat up and ripped the glove from his hand and glared at the mark underneath it. "What is it? What is wrong with you?"

The mark of course did not respond back, because it was a mark. Jaune tired and frustrated continued on however, despite knowing how stupid it was. "Until now you've never bothered me, never caused me any pain. So, what is different now? What changed?"

A pulse nearly rippled from his hand to shoulder, the pain making him clutch at his arm teeth grit together. Through all of the pain and annoyance however an image flashed through his eyes. Not a clear one exactly, more of a confusing amalgamation of them. Darkness holding dominion as vicious beasts snarled and tore at one another. A damp smell and the feeling of water running over his feet as something heavy breathed near him. Finally, and most striking was a single flower in a field of dead grass, its form bent and its pink petals wilting but still clinging to life. At least until a pair of red eyes converged on the dying plant and snuffed out its life, the darkness moving in to swallow all-

"…aune? Jaune what…wrong? Please…say something!"

With the feeling of a hand on his shoulder Jaunes vision was torn away. He gasped out, air flowing into oxygen deprived lungs. With a coughing gasp he fell to his side, Lily's arms helping support him. "L-Lily?" Was all Jaune was able to croak out as the pain faded away.

"Jaune." Lily seemed to breathe out in relief as Jaune's breathing began to normalize. "Are you okay?"

"I…I think so. What the hell happened?"

"You tell me. I came in to get ready for bed and you were just standing there. You didn't respond, didn't move I don't think you even breathed. It was like you were in a trance, all you did was look down…at your arm…"

Lily trailed off as her eyes moved down the aforementioned appendage. Jaune moved to cover it back up but was to slow as Lily's eyes widened in disbelief, her hands snatching the hand up and bringing it up to eye level. Her eyes were glued to the mark, the light seeming to enrapture her even as it seemed to fade to a dull glow.

"Jaune." Lily said to him, eyes still looking at his hand. "That symbol…why is it on your hand? And why is it glowing?"

Jaune felt frozen, caught like a deer in headlights. "I umm…It's a bit of a long story."

"I think we have a bit of time Jaune." Lily said in a voice that brooked no argument. Jaune hesitated for a moment, but a quick look in her purple eyes made him talk. He gave the same story he'd given to Ivalice and Karloff. Meeting with Celestine, the battle with Throgg and his time in Jacinda. And the hallucinations that had gripped him a moment ago. Everything that had led him up to this point. Lily for her part didn't interrupt with questions, only listened on in silence.

Only once his tale had been told did she break that silence. "So, the goddess still has power even after everything. Power enough to make you a god touched."

"I guess." Jaune stated with a small shrug. "As I understand it was a moment of oversight on the Black Dogs part. A temporary loosening of the powers that hold her. But I was given this blessing to try and save her people."

"Did…did she tell you how your supposed to do that?"

"Sort of." Jaune said in a huff, withdrawing his hand and putting the semi mended glove back on it. "She didn't go to much into the details, but it entails basically killing her enemies and protecting her people. I've admittedly done more of the former than the latter. But she also said that some people had to be more protected than others. Which I think was emphasized in my vision."

"The pink flower. The one surrounded by darkness." Lily gasped in realization. "You think she wants you to save the princess."

"Yeah, and I have a feeling if I don't this mark will make the pain I experienced worse if I don't try. Fat lot of good that does me though. Dietrich, bastard that he might be isn't wrong. I can't just walk up to the front gate, knock and politely ask to hand her over. Chances are she'll vanish leaving us with no proof, and Carnstein will be a pile of cinders. And outside of an army at my back there's no other way in."

Jaune sighed and leaned his head back, a hand rising up to rub at his tired eyes. That hand gave off another painful throb, one which had Jaune cursing and staring at it hatefully.

"What umm, what if there was a way? Another way in I mean?" Jaunes head snapped up to find Lily looking down wringing her hands nervously.

"What are you talking about Lily? I thought the gate was the only way in." Jaune asked, the throbbing in his hand dissipating.

"Well, technically yes. The locals said before Carnstein was a military outpost it was a mining village. The men mined the iron in this place for years before they were forced to abandon it. But there are still entrances open to the underground. Miles of tunnels stretching all over the region. I overheard Falkirk speaking about it to the men more than once after our…sessions. Including and old shaft that leads directly to the abandoned well in the back part of town."

"WHAT?! Wait that makes no sense." Jaune said quieting down a bit to not awaken Dietrich. "Why would the Black Dogs leave such a hole in their defenses?"

"Some of them wanted to seal it, but Falkirk said no. He believed it could be used as an escape path in the event of an attack. The caves aren't exactly undefended. Between the cave ins and the twisting paths most of the tunnels would be impassible without a proper map to guide you, and they have entrances everywhere. It would in theory let Falkirk and his few chosen men slip out before any enemy could take the town."

"Why didn't you mention this earlier? Back when Dietrich was asking us if we knew anything." Jaune asked perplexed at Lily's with holding.

Lily shifted uncomfortably at this, but answered in a calm voice. "Because Dietrich won't help us. All he's concerned with is his mission, he doesn't care about the people in Carnstein. He'll see them burn with the dogs if it means accomplishing his goals. But I care, the women and slaves there are my fellow countrymen, I can't just leave them to be slaughtered. If I can do anything to help them I will. But I need your help to do it."

Jaune was silent for a moment, contemplating the girl's plea. In his head the rational side of him was saying this was a bad idea. That he should simply listen to Dietrich and head south away from this nightmare. His head though was waging a war with his heart, screaming at him to help, to do what he was sent here to do.

The stalemate was broken when a pair of eyes flashed through his mind, pleading and broken ones he'd been forced to ignore in the past.

"Let's say I decide to use the tunnels to get in. and it will be me as I am not letting you step foot back into that shithole." He said, drawing a hopeful look from the girl. "What would be the plan exactly? We can't possibly fight them, nor can we free the villagers. Either one would just end in our capture."

"I know that." Lily responded; her trembling having stopped. "Tonight, the Dogs will be trying to make nice with the Frostling soldiers. Booze and women aplenty will flow as the leaders negotiate. That would leave most of the guards distracted, making it easier for you to infiltrate their ranks."

"How exactly would I be able to pretend to be them? I can't just walk up and pretend to be one of them."

"Actually, you probably can. New recruits are constantly being brought into the fold all the time. New recruits have to prove themselves and come and go quickly. Only those with actual talent tend to last more than a few months. And you did leave a pile of black dog corpses behind. Assuming they're still there you could use one of them. I doubt anyone but Falkirk or Lord Percival would look twice at you."

"Yeah, cause if either of them sees me I'm good as dead." Jaune pointed out, felling bad the moment he saw Lily wince. "Alright, let's say I make it through the tunnels and manage to slip into the garrison without anyone noticing. Where would I go next?"

"Well, with how many nobles were traveling with Percival they would probably be in the garrison's main hall. Falkirks office is on the second floor overlooking the town plaza, any relevant documents would be there if not in the meeting. As for the princess…they are probably keeping her in the cells down in the basement."

"So, let me see if I have the plan correct. I'm just suppose to sneak into the middle of a heavily garrisoned town disguised as one of them, gather whatever evidence that I can find, including a traumatized princess, then walk out without anybody noticing?"

Lily's cheeks reddened in embarrassment, but she nodded none the less. Jaune looked down at his hand, seeing if it had decided to impart any further wisdom. Any visions it might impart to help him decide his next course of action. Other than a minor flare through his arm it chose to remain silent.

"For the record this is a really bad plan. One that is almost certain to fail. And if we succeed there's no guarantee the empire won't destroy Carnstein anyway." Jaune stated in a dead pan tone. Lily for her part turned redder than before, a feeling of rejection beginning to settle in her stomach.

"But I don't have anything even resembling a plan, so you can count me in. Let's go on a suicide mission"

Jaune's acceptance barely left his lips before Lily tackled him in a hug, the small girl nearly bowling him over. Jaune didn't understand what he she said into his chest, but he could guess it was some sort of thanks.

Lily pulled away from Jaune with a small determined look on her face. "Ok, we'll wait till its dark and we'll and Dietrich's asleep to leave. You'll get the horses and I'll see if I can borrow some torches and some oil from the barn."

"Umm ok I get why we'll need the torches, but what do we need oil for? Shouldn't the torches be good to go?" Jaune asked confused about the last part.

That confusion gave way to resignation when Lily coughed into her hand, her eyes not quite meeting his. "Yes well, as I said the caves might not be completely empty. You might need it for the troll."

 _Fuck my life._

* * *

It hadn't taken long for Dietrich to nod off, for all of his anger and energy he was still an old man, and sleep soon took him. Jaune and Lily had quietly snuck through the house, gathering the items and horses they needed. Jaune had expected at any moment for Dietrich to catch them, but their exit went off surprisingly without a hitch.

So did the next step in their plan, procuring a passable uniform. Though it was far more gross for Jaune having to strip off the necessary apparel off the corpses, cobbling the least conspicuous clothing together he chose a simple pair of pants and a black vest with a crudely stitched Black dog on the back. The clothes smelled of sweat and blood and other things Jaune would rather not think about. The lack of his usual armaments did little to help his mood.

Jaune really hadn't wanted to leave his armor and sword back at the house, but it was to risky to bring them with. To many people had seen him in them recently, and all of those who'd want him dead were in Carnstein. He'd browsed through the mercenary's weapons and had chosen the least rusted of the swords to place at his belt. In comparison to his sword the poor blade felt like a stick in his hand, like a single swing would break it. At least Karloff's dagger was still with him.

The two traveled down the road, the dirt path illuminated by the last rays of the setting sun. A light drizzle had begun to fall from the sky, but it was only a minor annoyance to deal with. The slight downpour mixed in the air with the grass and mud giving the air an earthy smell. One time the two had to hide off to the side as a patrol of dogs rode their way through, but they were thankfully unseen. The two traveled far faster without a cart to slow them down, and to jaune the journey seemed all too easy.

Soon enough Lily lead Jaune into what looked like the remnants of an old quarry. It was settled next to the cliff faces of the valley, numerous openings and entrances visible even from the distance. At one point it might have been an interesting site, but without people to care for it the earth seemed to be doing its best to reclaim it. A few desolate shacks were scattered around the worksite, but otherwise there was no sign of former inhabitation. Any equipment or valuables that might have been left behind had long since been looted. Jaune dismounted from his horse, Lily doing the same on her borrowed steed.

"It seems we got here pretty easily. With our luck I figured we'd run straight into trouble." Jaune said looking around the deserted work site. The place was clearly abandoned, and yet something set Jaune's nerves on edge. At the very least his mark had seemed fit to stop pulsing for the time being.

"Nights not over yet, and we both know this was the easy part. Come on, the cave entrance is over this way." Lily walked off with the reigns of her horse in hand, Jaune following suit. The two humans and their horses walked between decaying buildings and overgrown pathways. Jaunes eyes peered around him, eyes nervously looking at all the tunnel entrances around them. Every fantasy novel he'd ever read always described this kind of place as a haven for beasts and monsters. It didn't help that in both his world and this one that description was often true.

His hand tightened around the handle of his borrowed weapon. "I know that the troll is the creature to watch out for, but I kind of expected to see other monsters here. Abandoned place like this seems like an ideal spot."

"Not a lot of things would choose to live near trolls. They're known for being short tempered, stupid and violent, even amongst other monsters. And their strength and size make them difficult to kill. A bad combination for a neighbor."

"Sounds like a perfect soldier for the dogs though. I suppose this is why Falkirk ordered it to guard the cave tunnels." Jaune said walking through the camp, his eyes peering through the smashed in walls of a shack. Barely standing the rotted wood casts shadows over there path like vines strangling the dirt.

Lily shook her head at this, something akin to mirth on her face. "Trolls can't be tamed, believe me Falkirk tried and lost more than a few men trying. Leaving it live in the main tunnel was just a lucky coincidence for him. Trolls do have a small level of sentience, but its just above a beast in intelligence. In a way their stupidity makes them incorruptible. They don't desire coin or treasure; they don't care about the pleasures of flesh. The only thing they want to do is…eat…"

Lily trailed off, and for good reason. They'd gone past the dilapidated sheds and found themselves in front of the main mine entrance. Along with the bones, bones of all shapes and sizes. Some had been bleached white and broken from age. Others were more recent, bits of blood and meat still attached. Some were animal, others seemed more humanoid. Most disturbing of all however was the massive footprints smashed through both bone and mud. They seemed fresh though it was impossible to tell which way they were going.

Jaune drew his taken sword from its scarab, the rusted blade doing little to inspire confidence in him. "So, I know you told me which way to go and what to do on the way here, but refresh my memory."

Lily didn't answer right away, choosing to light one of the torches. The flames took to the oil-soaked rags, lighting up the area around them. She raised it near the entrance of the cave, displaying a set of markings on the walls before handing it to him with the other unlit branches. "As I understand it the miners before they left marked the tunnels with chalk to serve as directions for them. White marks to indicate open tunnels, red ones to indicate those closed off. Follow the white markings and ignore any tunnels that seem to small to fit an ox through. The tunnels should lead to the beast's lair, a ladder leading up the well should be in a small chamber on the other side. Trolls aren't typically nocturnal and they're lazy. So hopefully you'll be able to sneak by while it sleeps."

"And if the beast is awake?" Jaune asked his eyes glued on the darkness within.

A sloshing sound made him turn his head to find Lily holding out the jug of oil, its top popped back in. "Trolls are almost immune to physical attacks; their bodies heal at incredible rates. Beheading them would be your only chance to stop it, and even that might not kill it. But they're weak to fire and acid, they can't heal from it so worst-case scenario light it up. Try not to do that though, trolls are known for making a lot of noise and it could alert the dogs."

Jaune seemed to hesitate for a moment before taking the jug, carefully tying it to his belt as to not douse himself unintentionally. "While I'm doing all of this what are you going to do?"

"I'll be waiting above the quarry watching the entrance. When you show up, I'll come back down and we'll ride out of here."

"Isn't that dangerous? What if the troll comes out of the cave? Or if it's not even in there at all and shows up?" Jaune said, worry for the girl etched on his face.

"Don't worry, trolls are strong but slow. I'll see or hear it and be gone long before it can get close to me. I can handle myself just…be careful in there and I'll see you soon." Lily said in a comforting tone, her hand brushing over his arm before mounting her horse and leading the other away.

Jaune followed her exit until he could no longer see her. Once she was out of sight he turned back to the cave. The inky blackness of the underground lay before him. A cold sliver of dread wormed its way into his heart at the thought of what might be waiting for him down there.

Jaune hesitated for only a moment. Then with a small sigh and a tightening of his hands he stepped into the tunnel, the darkness surrounding his light on all sides.

* * *

 **And that's chapter ten. Sorry to leave it on a bit of a cliff hanger. I don't always try to do that but the chapter was getting to long, and it had been so long since I updated the story, I wanted to get something out there. So, I chose a spot I felt would be good to end it there for the time being.**

 **Again, I wanted to apologize for the late delay. This story is very much alive and I do intend to update it more regularly. The last month to put it bluntly was hell for me. I won't bore you with everything but for the highlights of the last month I got a stomach virus, my vacation to Jamaica went down the toilet and my last dog died. So, the motivation to write has been somewhat lacking. I am feeling better though, so hopefully the next chapter doesn't take a month.**

 **Well we see that Lily has gotten a bit more assertive. And Jaune has fallen back to doing what he does best. Winging it. Admittedly they don't have much of a plan, and that plan is basically written with crayon. Still, things should work out just fine. Thank you for reading and see you next time.**


	11. Winging it

**Chapter 11 is all set and ready for takeoff. Thanks for all the reviews of my last chapter, I really appreciate the feedback. Last chapter ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, though I find most chapters anyone writes tend to do that. Now on with the show. Rated M for Kuroinu. Bold= Emphasis,** _ **Italics= thoughts.**_

Winging It

The crackling of the torch was an oddly comforting sound as Jaune descended into the tunnels. Its flames giving off a sweetly sick smell that mixed with the musky dust of the tunnels as he tried to quietly make his way through the murky dark, his footsteps being the only companion to go along with the burning rags in hand.

Jaune wasn't afraid of the dark. Or rather he had been once as a child, back when he feared the boogeyman and monsters under the bed. More than one-night Jaune's mother had come into the room to find him huddled beneath the sheets. As all good parents do, she had given comfort to the young boy and to tell the boy everything was alright. That the darkness was nothing to fear, that no monsters were lying in wake to come and get him. And with time and wisdom he came to accept this as fact, his fear eventually being left behind altogether.

Or so he had thought. Jaune could deal with regular darkness, with starless nights and shadows in the basement. But the darkness in the tunnels was a whole different beast altogether, one which hid an actual monster. The light of his torch may have pushed the darkness back but it was still there, sitting at the edge of his vision like some great horror. The shadows cast from the light seemed in his eye to writhe and move. As if alive and reaching to snatch him from his feet.

What he could see did little to make him feel better. Though the tunnel was wide its ceiling was a bit low, doing all it could to remind Jaune of the few hundred tons of stone existing above his head, with little more than wooden beams to hold it aloft. Moss and other fungi were climbing up the sides with no one left to clear them away. one growth in particular made Jaunes stomach heave in apprehension, the mushroom growing from the caved in portion of a dead man's skull. The body had long since been stripped of meat and covered by plant, leaving only the literal empty eyed stare of the corpse alone. Around the body were bloody scratches and broken fingernails.

Jaune shuddered as he willed himself to move on. He prayed the man had died before the troll had consumed him.

At first the tunnel had gone down into the earth but as Jaune moved on the tunnels began to arch up again. At least he hoped it had. The tunnels twisted and turned beneath the earth and without the white markings to guide him he would have been lost for hours, maybe for good. And time was something Jaune knew he had a limited amount of. More than once Jaune had gone down what should have been a clear path only to find debris blocking his path, forcing him to go back and try a new one. Without the sun or moon to indicate the passing of time Jaune had no way of knowing how long he'd been down there. It could have been an hour, or even more than that.

Jaune's mood was just beginning to worsen when the tunnel he was in turned a corner and exited out into a natural cave. Stalagmites rose from the ground piercing towards the ceiling, a good fifty feet or so up. Boulders and other large rocks seemed to litter the floor, though whether that was natural or a result of a semi cave in Jaune had no idea. Old mining picks and broken chunks of what must have been wooden work benches were scattered amongst the bones of the troll's prey. The cave unlike the rest of the tunnels lightly shined, thanks to the veins of iron still mixed in with the reddish-brown dirt. They gave off a soft glow thanks to a small opening in the cave ceiling, moonlight pouring down through a hole in the ceiling.

There was no sign of the troll. Jaune made his way out of the tunnel. He moved as quietly as he could, lowering himself down from a close ledge to the flat stone below. The teen maneuvered himself between the stalagmites, making his way across the large cavern as quietly as he could. He didn't see any side caverns or other tunnels in the cave, but he didn't want to risk that the troll might be waiting in one of them. Lily had mentioned the creature was big and dangerous, but otherwise had given little in terms of description.

Jaune was just getting near the end of the cavern towards the well ladder when he heard a sudden smashing of stone behind him. The blonde fell into a crouch quickly making his way behind the closest boulder to him. Lowering the flame low so as to try and keep his position hidden, he stayed as still as possible, ear listening for any sign of movement. After a few moments of silence he dared to peek his head around his hiding spot.

His eyes found a few rocks had somehow loosened themselves from the ceiling and come crashing down from above. The stone must have simply given way after years of erosion. Jaune let out a sigh of relief, a part of him felt sure that had been the troll. Or failing that would have summoned it if it was in hear. The crash had been loud enough to wake a village. His heartbeat back to normal Jaune chuckled at the scare before moving back to his feet, his free hand reaching out to use the boulder as leverage to help him to his feet.

What should have felt like cold and wet stone instead felt hairy, emitted a warmth Jaune hadn't expected. That warmth seemed to radiate through the palm of his hand. A feeling of dread filled his soul as he found himself looking down, before withdrawing his hand as if it had been electrocuted. He backed away fast, stealth be damned as his eyes remained locked on what was in front of him. His back-hit stone as his momentum was stopped by a large stalagmite poking out of the ground. Whether by luck or providence the stone held instead of cracking from the retreat.

 _Well, if nothing else you found the troll._ The little voice in Jaune's mind snarked at him. it was easy to see why Jaune had mistaken the beast for a boulder, its grey skin and fur almost blending in with the cave floor. Its large body was connected to a pair of short but stocky legs, absurdly contrasted with its thin long arms. Large nostrils framed an oversized head, its face similar to that of some apes Jaune had once seen at the zoo. Drool pooled out from between large misshapen block like teeth on the floor.

For longer than Jaune liked he stayed as still as a statue as the beast grumbled on the floor. After what felt like an eternity the beast finally stilled in his slumber. He breathed out a small burst of air in relief, slowly inching his way around the monster. Once he made it around, he quickly but quietly put as much distance between himself and the beast as he could.

Exiting the cavern, he found himself in a small circular chamber, an old brass ladder leading 30 feet up the wall. From above Jaune could see the stars twinkling through the small entry way. A pool of water had gathered in the middle of the opening and reflected the light from above. Jaune undid the jug of oil and torches from his belt placing them on the driest side of the chamber, sheathing the rusty blade on his hip. With a bit of trepidation he began to climb.

The metal was old and rusted, each step twisting and groaning under the pressure of his weight. Jaune felt the sharp edges of the ladder pushing into his hands, a feat Jaune had no doubt would have sliced his skin up something bloody without his gloves and aura to protect him. The well was damp from the recent rain, the smell of moss almost pungent in his nose. Jaune was just nearing the top when the sounds of voices drew nearer.

Unable to go back down without being seen or heard Jaune pushed himself against the wall as two grunting voices drew near, just above the entrance to the well. He pulled the hood of the ratty cloth above his head and hoped to blend in with the shadow as the two bickered above him.

"Can't believe were trudging through the mud to dump this worthless shit. Can't we just get a slave to take care of this.?"

"You know Falkirk, doesn't want any of them cucks going near here. Thinks it gives them hope they could escape. Besides the only time I want to hear them crying is in my bed."

From above the first voice laughed in a tone which put Jaune's hair on edge. "True enough, but I'll say it again that man is a paranoid bastard. Like anything's getting past old Rockgut down there. His days are numbered anyway. If that shouting match with the pigs was anything to go by."

"Sure, you go ahead and let him hear you say that. Look let's just get this done, on three."

The men above him started counting and Jaune pressed himself even further to the stone for the last few centimeters. With a grunt the two tossed their load into the well, the mystery item thankfully hitting into the wall opposite of Jaune. unable to stop himself Jaune peeked out from the wall. He immediately wished he hadn't. time seemed to slow as dead blue eyes stared back at him, blond locks matted with blood flowing through the air in a grotesque parody of wind. The corpses mouth was wide in a silent scream, almost as wide as the tear in her throat. As quickly as it slowed time speed up again as the unfortunate body tumbled out of sight and back into the darkness. Jaune quickly turned his eyes back to the wall, doing everything in his power not to throw up.

"Shame about that one, she could suck a dick really good. Thought those Frostling pricks were a stiff bunch, but they've been cutting loose since they got here. Ah still, waste of a good wench. Anyways, I'm heading back to the party, you coming?"

"Go on ahead." One of them responded, which one Jaune wasn't sure. "Twisted my back a bit throwing away that trash, just going to rest here a moment and have a smoke."

The uninjured man grumbled something and walked away as the other man sat on the edge of the well, his fat body blocking the stars from above. A pudgy hand came behind him rubbing at his sore back while the other one fished a small bit of plant and paper from his pocket. Carefully placing the herb on the stone next to him he began to roll the paper to get it into the right shape. Satisfied it was round enough he brought it up to his lips to take give it a lick.

It fell bloodied from his hand as a thin bit of metal extended itself from the man's throat, a surprised croak all that made it out of him as Jaune's hand clasped over the man's mouth. The fat body gave one twisting jerk before slumping over to the side, thankfully onto the well instead of into it. Jaune wasn't sure when he had climbed the ladder, or how Karloff's dagger made it into his hands, but rarely had the act of violence felt so satisfying. At another time such a thing might have bothered him. Right now, however he could care less.

Using the dead man's body as a macabre hand hold, he pulled himself from the well. The area as Lily said seemed largely deserted as Jaune yanked the knife free, wiping the blood of on the bloated body he looked at the dead mercenary in disgust, knowing he couldn't leave it to be discovered. Putting his hands on the side of the still warm body he took a deep breath before giving a quick shove with both hands. The corpse resisted for just a moment before inertia and gravity worked its magic, the body teetering and finally tumbling into the darkness below. A large splash was heard from below as Jaune sheathed the knife, eyes stuck staring into the darkness below.

 _Another person I failed to save. I can hear my father's voice even now-_ Jaune shook his head and cut off that line of thinking like a bad limb. There was no time for self-pity. Jaune sheathed the knife and used a discarded rag to wipe up bits of blood from the stone before tossing it down with the bodies. Pulling a fresh hanker chief from within his vest he opened up the black cloth, the red dog of Kuroinu in its center. Suppressing a shudder, he tied it around the lower half of his face, disguising his face the best he could while trying to blend in. Lily said men who suffered from the plague were forced to cover themselves, so it served as good a disguise as any. Having cleaned up as much as he could he slipped away from the old well.

* * *

It wasn't hard to make his way through the streets in spite of how packed they were. There were soldiers and women everywhere, as men from the Frostings' were…sampling those made available to them. The dogs themselves were showing an unusual amount of restraint as they interacted with the foreign soldiers. The two sides were playing cards, feasting and drinking together. The dogs were especially getting into the last one, as it seemed their guests were being given first rights to the women. In one instance Jaune saw a Frostling soldier pull a woman off of a Black Dog's lap and began going to town on her. The seemingly wronged soldier silently seethed and began reaching for his blade, only for another to grab his wrist and sit him back down. In response the man grabbed a flagon of ale, downing the alcohol in angry gulps. The second man turned back to the Frostling soldiers; a fake smile plastered on his face as he called a woman to serve booze to them.

In spite of the happy faces both sides were putting on it was clear the two sides were on edge. The Frostings' seeming lack of decorum and the booze were only serving to make things worse. Jaune walked between the various groups doing his best to stick closer to the black dogs wherever they were, no matter how much it made his skin crawl to pretend to be one of them. Still he stuck to it though, as the dogs were less likely to recognize him than the Frosting's. Less likely to act even if they did notice him.

He was just making his way into the main courtyard when a snapping sound made him and everyone else turn towards the tavern.

A small wagon carrying a half dozen child sized barrels had tipped over, spilling the casks into the street, while the donkey that had been pulling the load was on the ground, the cart having run into and snapping the beast's leg. It wasn't known what caused the accident but whatever it was had the poor creature shrieking. The blood leaking from the beasts wound mixed with the wine pouring from one of the broken casks, making it impossible to tell the difference between the two.

"What are you worthless sacks of crap doing?" A black dog said coming out from the tavern. "Can't even deliver a cart of booze 2 blocks down the road. Commander wants his wine so get to it. And you, you pox faced asshole." The drunken man said pointing at Jaune. "Shut that beast up before you go."

Not trusting his voice to succeed him Jaune simply nodded, drawing his knife from his belt. A few men had gathered to watch the beast kick and squirm on the ground as Jaune approached the thrashing animal. Kneeling down beside the animals back he placed the dagger in his right hand he slowly stroked the beast's fur, attempting to calm the animal.

"Oh, how tragic lads." A black dogs voice yelled out from behind Jaune. "Sore covered git has reunited with his long-lost lover. Look how lovingly he strokes her."

Laughter rang out from the insult, but Jaune simply chose to continue calming the animal. Eventual the beast seemed to tire and laid its head down, its good legs no longer thrashing in the air. Jaune felt a stab of pity go through him as he positioned his knife, he'd killed animals before back on the family farm but it never was easy for him. sometimes it was for the meat, other times like now because there was no other option. The animal would never heal, and even if it could the black dogs wouldn't let it. They saw the animal as weak, useless. To leave it like this would be cruel.

SHUNK! His aura guided through his blade he plunged the dagger through the beast's skull, the blade stabbing into the brain. Swallowing the bile in his throat he drew the blade back out. The animal dead the crowd turned back to their drinking, a few of the dogs staying behind to help with the barrels in the cart. Jaune walked over to one of the smaller ones, lifting the barrel and placing it on his shoulder.

The small group of men walked down the streets barrels loaded up in a hand pulled cart. It was only a few minutes before the gates of the barracks came into view. In that moment Jaune noticed the differences between this one and Jacinda's. The building was probably the only stone building in the whole settlement, a low squat wall surrounding a fairly large building. Grey stone stretched above them by a few stories, much of which was covered in vines and moss eating into the mortar. A few men walked the walls but otherwise there wasn't much in terms of guards. Even the gate was left wide open, the men standing guard at it barely giving them a look as they walked in. soldiers from both factions loitered around the entryway, these a cut above the others as they partook in neither women or food.

A black dog was waiting outside the entrance, his uniform pressed and a cut above the other males Jaune had seen in town. "Oh, you're finally here. The masters have ordered their refreshments to be brought in to the feasting hall. Please go their quickly."

The men for all their usual rowdy manner were quick to obey, lugging the casks out two men at a time. Jaune for his part took one of the smaller kegs and fell in line behind the others as they entered the main building.

The hallways were bare stone and dull, the men marching two by two as they walked through the building. Jaune's shoulder was beginning to chafe a bit as the wood creased his vest, the wine sloshing back in forth by his ear. After a few minutes the group found themselves in front of a pair of double wooden doors. Loud voices could be heard arguing from within the room. The black dog moved up in front of the doors, and after a moment of hesitation gave the wood a quick pair of nocks.

The voices went silent and a few moments later one of the doors was yanked open. There standing in all his intimidating glory was Falkirk. His eyes looked at the mercenary questioningly, before his eyes fell over the wine. His menacing glare reduced a fraction, and he jerked his head for them to follow.

Entering the feasting hall Jaune found most of the tables pushed together. The tables were laden with all manner of food and drinks, much of which was being consumed by those currently sitting there. Juicy hams and meat pies were spread between empty bottles of wine and pastries. The smell of it wafted through Jaunes mask, the seasoned meats and vegetables wafting pleasantly in the air. The food wasn't the only sweet scent in the room, as a censer was gently burning a slight pink smoke in the air. In comparison to the tension Jaune saw outside, things in here seemed almost peaceful.

As Jaune followed the manservant to where Falkirk had designated for them to leave the alcohol Jaune risked a peek to get a view of the room's inhabitants. On the one side of the joined tables you had the nobles of the Frostings', with Percival sitting at the center. He had traded in his purple doublet for a multi colored one, the man shining like some kind of puffed up peacock. Even as he sat at the head of one side of the table his distaste for those, he saw beneath him was plain to see.

"It's about time, our cups have nearly been empty for five minutes. Your men should learn to treat one's guests with more efficient hospitality." A voice that seemed both deep and somehow simultaneously whiny spoke out in the same breath.

"You're eating my food and enjoying my own personal stores of wine. I'd say that's more than generous enough." Falkirk shot back, his irritation with the pink suited pig clear as day.

Normally Jaune would have judged Percival for his condescending nature, but considering who was sitting across from him Jaune could understand it a little bit. The Mortadella brothers were an odd case of simultaneous similarities and differences. While jaune had seen them before, seeing them as up close and personal as they were now was a different matter altogether. The two were easily the ugliest creatures he'd ever seen, a horrid combination of pig and man that shouldn't have been biologically possible. Their pig like faces made Throgg seem pretty in comparison, while their clothing shouldn't have been capable of holding in their prodigious fat.

The similarities ended in terms of their current behaviors however. The pink coated one was sitting with a level of poise and dignity mirroring Percival, eating what looked like roast beef in an almost delicate manner, fork and knife making clean but concise cuts of the meat. His brother on the other hand acted like far more of a pig than a man. The green coated Mortadella was tearing into a pile of meat lying on several plates in front of him, the glutton gorging himself with gusto. Jaune's stomach churned to watch the beast man tear a whole leg off a bird and munch the whole thing down in a manner of seconds. Percival didn't seem to be all that thrilled to be sitting across from him either as bits of spittle and meat chunks made their way across his half of the table.

"Something amusing to your eyes boy?" The green pig growled between bites of food. It took a moment for Jaune to realize it was talking to him. Jaune not trusting his voice simply shook his head, drawing a small snarl from the pig. "Then get the fuck out of here."

Jaune went to do just that, when a voice called out. "Hold a moment." The pink pig had stood up from where he was sitting, moving to stand in front of him. The pig looked him up and down before reaching forward to grab the front of his vest, lifting him from the ground and using his nose to give Jaune's borrowed clothing a sniff. If Jaune didn't feel so nervous in the moment he would have been amazed at how weightless he felt in the moment. There must have been some serious muscle underneath all that blubber. "Where did you get those bloodstains from? There was to be no violence while our guests were here."

Jaune felt the sweat coming down his brow as the eyes of everyone closed in on him. He let out a gulp before responding to the pig's question. "Th-there was an accident in the streets. The cart lugging the alcohol fell and crushed the donkey's leg. I was ordered to p-put it out of its misery. Its screams were bothering the men."

Pinky looked over to the other men for confirmation. When the others Jaune had walked in with nervously nodded he gave an annoyed snort, but released him back to the ground. "Well, couldn't be avoided then. Good to see not all of your men are incompetent Falkirk. Now gentleman, shall we refill our cups before resuming?"

As the nobles gave their assent Pinky grabbed an empty serving jug from the table and shoved it into Jaune's arms. Pinky gestured to one of the casks and muttered something about him smelling the cleanest before he and Falkirk took their seats. "Now gentleman, as much as I'm sure you've enjoyed this evening, I believe its time we got down to business."

"Indeed. As gracious a host as you have been, I find myself missing the familiar chill of home." Lord Percival responded, wiping his mouth free of crumbs as jaune knocked the spigot into the cask and began to fill the jug. "Ivalice has left the capital to petition the imperial court for aid, after your men's failed attack. She has likely arrived in Dallia's royal province by this point."

"This is an unfortunate development. Our best advantage was their obliviousness to our intentions." Falkirk said arms crossed over his barrel like chest. Jaune lifted the wine and walked over to the nearest Frostling noble, pouring the wine with as much grace as he was capable. Falkirk continued as the wine flowed near to the brim of the noble's cup. "If Emperor Gaulterius sends a legion to reinforce the region, our plan would be in ruin. Perhaps we should move back the time schedule?"

The green pig snorted, bits of meat flying back onto his plate. "What's the matter Falkirk? Your time spent on the outskirts make your blade dull? I thought you liked cutting up weaklings."

Falkirk frowned at this, one of the veins visibly irritated by the green ball of blubber. "My blade is sharp enough. It can cut through soldiers and peasants easily enough. But a legion is a different sort of beasts. They're well trained and battle tested, with good equipment. Vault himself studied their tactics when we worked for them once, and found some of them useful." Falkirk turned his attention to Percival, his eyes hardening on the man. "Allowing Ivalice to leave was a mistake."

Percival gave a small laugh, holding his cup to the side for Jaune to pour. Jaune was sweating bullets as he poured the glass into the cup of the man who had tried to have him hung. If anyone was going to recognize him in this damned town it was him. as the goblet filled up Jaune was just waiting for him to look over and call for his head.

Thankfully Percival didn't notice him. to be truthful he didn't even look his way, the lord having dismissed him as a mere servant. Jaune was thankful for his snobbery as he turned away to serve the next man, his back firmly faced to Percival.

All of this took place in the span of about fifteen seconds, though seeming far longer to Jaune. Percival took a sniff of his wine before taking a measured sip, smiling in contentment. "You call it a mistake; I however call it an opportunity. Ivalice has left Jacinda in hopes of gaining reinforcements. But the court is a bureaucratic spider web, easy for one untrained in diplomacy to get tangled in. I've employed my allies in Dallia to delay her petition for as long as possible. This can be anywhere from weeks to even a few months. And even if she gains permission to bring a legion together, it'll be a long march between Dallia and Jacinda. In the meantime, the Frostling's legionnaires have no leader to guide them. Take them out and the other noble families will fall in line. There will never be a better time to launch an invasion."

Invasion. The mere mention of that word made Jaune nearly drop the jug, only the knowledge of how horrendous that would look allowed Jaune to keep control. _Percival you two timing little bitch._

"Could such an invasion force be gathered this quickly? And what of Duke Vayne? I doubt he would simply fall in line." Falkirk asked his skepticism clear on his face.

"Under normal circumstances no. Drawing a large enough force to take over and occupy Jacinda would take months of work." Pinky admitted with a shrug of the shoulders. "But if the Legionnaires were led into a trap by our dear friend here, away from the safety of the city walls just before the snows hit, we could seize control with ease. By the time the empire realized what happened, winter will halt any hope of attack. And by the time the snows melt our armies would be dug in."

"A vassal kingdom in alliance with our glorious leader. And all those new maidens to be plucked like roses, fresh and sweet. Shared no doubt by your graces generosity." Pinky said with a sip from his cup.

"And I wouldn't worry about Vayne." Percival said a vicious grin on his face. "I have that arrogant boys trust. I practically raised him after all, and I will keep him distracted right up to the moment I sink my knife into his back. My days of kowtowing to that empire lickspittle is nearly over, and I will take my rightful place as the Frostling's king!"

The lord accentuated this last word with the slam of his fist on his table, his fellow nobles joining in and hollering as they did so. The plates and glasses shook from the pounding as the men celebrated their newfound treachery. A few goblets spilled to the table, red wine pouring between the cracks in the wood. Jaune for his part moved quickly refilling the glasses.

"I assume this attack will have to be soon then? Before they become aware." Falkirk asked.

"A few moons from now should be acceptable, just on the cusp of winter. Once we return to Ur and the tourney is complete our glorious emperor will have drawn up enough forces to launch the attack. Now I assume this answers all of your concerns?"

Falkirk simply grunted through all the cheering, his fingers clenched a bit into the biceps of his arms. "I suppose all that's left then is to make it official. The treaties are are all written up and ready in my office. Should I bring them down here to be signed?"

"After dinner, when the food is cleared and the table doesn't so much resemble a trough. Can't be giving Vault-sama stained documents. For now lets just finish our meal then attend to more pleasurable matters. We've organized a little party for you gentleman once your hunger is sated. You'll find the other guests quite suited to handle a different hunger." The nobles cheered in a depraved voice Pinky's eyes fell over on Jaune still holding the near empty jug of wine. "Your still here? Here take this and go, we can pour our wine now. Find a flagon and a bitch to guzzle. Should be around the pay earned for playing the part of a serving wench."

Raucous laughter brought blood to Jaunes cheek as the fat blob pulled a small handful of silvers from his pocket and tossed them at Jaune's feet. Jaune merely bowed his head and placed the serving jar down before dropping to his knees and picking up the few coins. He then walked to the door, ignoring every signal in his body to run. He felt his heart beating nearly as loud as when he stumbled into the troll.

It was only when he reached the other side of the doorway and shut it behind him did he let his nerves go. His arms shaking as he let out a relieved breath he didn't know he had been holding in. the dogs he'd come in with were waiting for him, as was the one who'd been guarding the door.

"Well, how'd it go?" One of the men asked from the group. Jaune wasn't sure which one of them asked.

"Negotiations seemed to be going well. Things seem to have gone about as good as can be expected." Jaune answered the man truthfully. In spite of the horrible things he'd heard discussed in there, he hadn't been spotted.

As the men grumbled Jaune came to realize that he needed to separate from these scumbags. But he had to do it in a way that didn't arouse suspicion. His mind was blank on how to do that.

As the men began to quiet down inspiration hit as he felt the coins jingle in his pocket. He took the few silver coins he'd been given along with the miscellaneous coins he'd pocketed from the woodland corpses earlier. Holding them palms up he made his pitch. "The pig man gave me these for the night. Figure since we did the work, we should share in the reward."

Their eyes filled with greed at the site of money. The man who'd been guarding the door came forward and swiped the coin from his hand. "Blimey, that's actual silver. We can drink for days off of this and from the good stuff to. Not that cheap swill they regularly serve. Come on lads let's go get hammered!"

The men let out a small cheer and turned away, making their way down the hall. The man who'd taken the money made to follow, only to momentarily stop at Jaune's lack of movement. "Aint you coming? Drinks are on our generous benefactors."

"Be there in a few. Just got to go to the ba-lavatory first." Jaune said correcting himself, hoping his near pronouncing of bathroom hadn't given him away. He put a hand to his gut and tensed his muscles, doing his best to look like he was holding one in.

"Lavato- oh you mean the shit pot. After being stuck around those bigshots I don't blame you needing to check your trousers. Down that hall third door on the right. Hurry up and I'll save you a pint." The man turned away and walked off, his posture completely at ease.

Jaune waited a few seconds while the man turned out of sight before Jaune turned and walked in the guided direction. The sound of the so-called nobles cheers and laughter men mixed in with their beastly hosts. Once he was far enough away It became difficult to tell which one was which.

* * *

Jaune found himself passing by a few servants and soldiers but made no attempt at conversation and did not meet there eyes. The few men who should have been able to easily recognize him had failed to do so, leaving Jaune feeling a bit more at ease as he searched through the halls. Not enough to take him off edge, but enough to keep him feeling like he need to immediately bolt.

Jaune had survived the meeting, the next part was finding his way down to the dungeons. The teen knight had thought of making his way to the offices, but decided it was too risky. Falkirk had seemed eager to leave the hall and could head up there at any time. And if he found the documents missing before Jaune had escaped failure would be guaranteed. So finding the princess was top priority. Though what he would do once he found her he was still working on. Success at this point all came down to one thing in Jaune's mind. One of the few things his dad had taught him. and that was that if you wanted to succeed all you needed was confidence.

Recent events had made Jaune start to question the validity of this statement but one addendum to that had stuck with him. To many it would have seemed stupid but it was still key in his mind to succeeding at this charade. Before you could be what you wanted you had to first play the part. Few people were born with innate talents and personalities, so the first step was to act as if. Act as if you were brave, act as if you knew what the hell you were doing. Act as if you were a baseborn bastard strolling through an enemy military outpost as if you owned the place. Do this long enough and act like you have a purpose, and most people won't look twice at you.

Also, since Jaune was more or less winging it at this point anyways confidence was one of the few things at his disposal. He walked through the halls with an easy gait, hand lying lazily on the hilt of his blade. He kept his eyes straight ahead, making eye contact with other soldiers while pretending the servants didn't exist. Eventually he found his way to the staircase leading underground.

Grabbing one of the torches from the wall he descended down into the darker pits of the fort. The steps descended only a short way, before ending out in a dank trio of tunnels. The smell of moss and rotting wood filled his nostrils, but outside of that he felt a bit more at ease with being out of sight of the main floor. The first tunnel he tried going down lead to a dead end, while the second ended in a dark storeroom, bottles of an unknown liquid resting within. Having exhausted his first two options he went down the third tunnel.

A short walk in he found it. The entrance to the jail cells. A small wooden door stood shut in front of him. a small metal panel stood at about face height in the wood with metal bars nailed over it. A pair of guards stood in front of the doors, spears pointed up towards the ceiling. Though both wore the traditional leather and cotton uniforms of the dogs, they were slightly more armored with a pair of pauldron shoulder pieces and a closed helmet apiece. Jaune was almost spotted by them when he ducked back behind the curve of the tunnel. He quickly blew his tunnel out, not wanting to give himself away. he could hear the two men were quietly chatting with each other, over what Jaune could not tell.

 _Okay I've found the jails. Now what?_ It was a fair question Jaune asked himself as he stood in the shadows. There was no convenient way he'd simply be allowed to walk through those doors. He could pretend to be a soldier initiating a changing of the guard, but that was a big risk. They could be waiting for a specific time and even a specific set of guards to come relieve them. Even if he assuming they didn't know who was coming to relive them, and that was a big if, there was no way to know if they'd been told some sort of password he'd need to say. So simply trying to walk by or infiltrate was out.

A frontal assault didn't seem likely either. The tunnels were tight and didn't offer much in terms of maneuverability. Those spears would have the advantage against his rusty blade. Not enough to probably kill him, but more than long enough for them to sound the alarm.

 _What to do?_ Jaune thought to himself as he leaned against the wall. His thoughts were broken as he felt something shift and pull apart behind him. reacting fast he was just able to catch the item before it fell. His hands came away with a piece of the walled stone, the moss having eaten it away. turning it over in his hands he examined it. The stone seemed to be made of shale, the rock sparkling from the distant torches on the wall.

A small piece of it broke apart and fell to the floor below, cracking apart as stone met stone. It let out a large snap that seemed to scream intruder. Jaune felt his heart stop as the voices down the hall seemed to quiet for a moment. Jaune stayed as still as he did in front of the troll. A few moments of dreaded silence went by, jaunes lungs burning from his lack of breathing. After a moment the voices resumed their conversation and Jaune let out the breath he'd been holding, glaring down at the rock that had nearly outed him.

The shiny rock that had let out an incredibly loud noise upon breaking. An idea was forming in his head as he looked down at his hands, an idea of how to deal with the two men. It was dumb and likely doomed to failure.

 _I'm sorry, which part of this journey hasn't been exactly that?_ The inner asshole of Jaune's mind snarked at him from the back of his head. Jaune could only concede the point as he made his way down the hall, pulling the blade from his belt.

He moved back to the store room and opened the door in it. The room was dark and shadowy, the darkness seeming to wrap around the bottles. Jaune propped the door open with a small crate of the bottles and relit the torch from earlier, placing it within a holder in the room. the relit fire glowed out into the hallway, a beam of light cutting out into the relative darkness of the tunnels. Jaune retreated into the shadowy hallway of the staircase, hefting the rock up in his off hand. He ignored the screaming voices in his head telling him how dumb this idea really was as he got a god feel of the large rock.

Then with one movement he tossed it as hard as he could. The stone flew through the air and smashed into the interior of the store room, bottles and rocks smashing together on the ground. The sound reverberated down the hallways as the smell of sour liquid made its way to Jaunes nostrils. For a moment Jaune waited as the sound faded from hearing.

He didn't need to wait long as the sounds of footsteps made themselves known. Not from upstairs thankfully but from down the hall. Jaune blended into the shadows as best as he could a s the two men rounded the corner, spears at the ready. Jaune felt his nervous palm tighten on his piece of shit blade, the other drawing his dagger from out of its sheathe. He stood tensed still as a statue as he waited to see which way they'd turn.

The torchlight distracted them as he'd prayed for. They turned their backs to him.

Forgoing any stealth Jaune burst from the shadows, feet rushing to close the distance. One of them seemed to realize the danger, body and spear already turning to face him. it was to late as Jaune drove his blade through his side, the chipped metal pushing through his lungs to the other side of the torso. The man seized up before his body crumpled to the floor.

Jaune let go of the sword, knowing he only had seconds to spare. He ducked under the desperate thrust of his opponent's spear and slammed his shoulder into the mans torso, driving the air out of him. his momentum smashed the two of them into the wall, the mercenary dropping his weapon and gasping as he swung ineffectual blows at his assailant. Jaune took the few blows with only minor grunts, slamming a knee into the man's side and delivering a fist to the front of the mans helmet. He grit his teeth as he felt one of his knuckles pop, even aura proving unable to completely stop the damage. Jaune doubted the blow even hurt the guy. What it did do was raise the guards chin and expose his neck under the armor.

Jaune plunged the dagger straight in, the blade tearing a small line of flesh from the mans throat. Grasping the dying man by his shoulder Jaune half walked and half pushed the man into the storeroom, letting him fall straight to the floor. Jaune didn't stop to watch the man stop twitch, turning to grab the other one as time he knew was growing short. He yanked the blade out from his side, the blade slightly warped from the harsh treatment. Jaune wiped it off quickly and placed it back with the knife before dragging the corpse in with his companion, releasing it with a huff and grabbing the torch from the wall.

Leaving the room darkened Jaune closed the door, picking up one of the discarded spears from the floor. He could only hope no one needed to go into there tonight, but that was out of his control. Moving quickly he made his way back down the hallway finding himself in front of the door. Tightening his hands around the spear and steeled himself before yanking the door open and charging in. His eyes moved from side to side, aiming the spear for an expected assault.

He found nothing. No soldiers, no orcs no monsters of any kind. Just a large room filled with cells. A small table covered in cards and booze sat near to the front of the room. A set of keys lay in the middle of the bottles, over a dozen identical bronze keys circling an iron Jaune let out an irritated sigh as he placed the spear against the table. closing the dungeon door behind him. he slid the panel open to make it easier to hear if someone came down the hallway. _If the Black Dogs don't kill me, the fucking stress will. Lets get this done._

Jaune made his way between the various cells, peering in for the princess. Most of the cells were empty, rotting straw and chains littering the floor of the cells. The room, like much of the garrison seemed in a state of disrepair. Much of the bars were old and sporting rust, moss seemed to be consuming both walls and floor. A corpse or two lay in the empty cells but otherwise there was no one else. In a way it made sense though. Kuroinu was a slave state, one in which most products were produced from. Prisoners were simply an expense they wouldn't tolerate under normal circumstances.

Like most things in life though, exceptions were made. Jaune found his target in the last cell of the room. Her cell seemed better maintained, not great but better with fresh hay and a few sheets and pillows laid down on the floor. The pink haired girl sat slumped against the wall, motionless as if she had been laid there. Judging by her lack of reaction to him turning the different keys in her cell, it may not have been far from the truth. The first few keys turned out to be incorrect, but on the fifth attempt the keyhole turned with a click and the cell door swung open. Jaune left the key in the slot and entered the cell. He kneeled down in front of the captive royalty, getting his first good look at her.

From a distance Jaune had been able to tell the princess was pretty. But he realized how low of a bar that really was. The girl was short, probably only around the height of Ruby or his younger sisters, but her body was that of a woman. An hourglass figure sat barely covered by what would generously be called a dress of white with gold trim. The dress would have been considered scandalous in remnant, with the upper portion of her breasts and panties exposed. Bare shoulders and an exposed neck lead up to a face that could only be described as cute. Eyes blue like sapphires framed by a cherubic face, Jaune felt his heart beat a bit faster looking. It would have been easy to call her beautiful, if not for one thing. The completely emotionless dead blue eyes that stared back at him. Her eyes moved to him when he came into view, but otherwise had no reaction to him whatsoever.

That stare of hers was severely unnerving. Jaune swallowed nervously as she didn't so much as blink. "Ms. Pr- sorry uh Princess Prim. Can you hear me?" The girl continued to stare at him, but gave no indication that she even registered him being there at all. Jaune quietly cursed to himself he had hoped to find a prisoner ready and willing for freedom. Jaune didn't know what was wrong with her, but she may as well have been comatose.

Whatever was her problem, it would have to be dealt with later. First he needed to get her out of here. But leaving her cell empty could prove to be problematic. Jaune found a unique solution to that though, courtesy of the poor ladies jailors. The pillows were of good quality, little bundles covered in red cloth. Jaune took them and laid them together in a s shaped pile. He then took one of the sheets the girl wasn't sitting on and laid it over the top of the pillows, the silhouette of a person laying under wraps appearing. Jaune had done this more than once to trick his parents when he'd sneak out at night to train. Up close the ruse would be laid bare but from the distance of a door the trick might work. Combined with the natural darkness of the cells Jaune could only hope for the best.

Having made up his little fake pillow person Jaune turned his attention to the actual one in the room. he found himself creeped out by the unblinking stare that was locked onto him (and had probably been locked onto him since he'd entered). Jaune knelt down in front of the girl, looking directly into her eyes.

"I know you probably can't hear me right now, but I think it's time we left this place. So, sorry about this next part."

The girl made no response, either to his words or to his hands. He hefted Prim from the floor of the cell, lifting her into his left arm and over his shoulder. She made no move to help him, but the fact she didn't start thrashing or screaming was a bonus. He maneuvered her out of the cell, locking and withdrawing the key as he did so. He noted how light she felt in his arm, whether due to her size or his aura it was hard to say. Or maybe even a combination of the two. Yes very light indeed. And soft, her body pressing into him-

 _Your in the middle of an enemy base trying to rescue a princess. Forget your hormones and get it fucking together!_ Jaune's mind shouted at him from the recesses of his mind. Jaunes mind came back into focus as he neared the end of the cells. He'd gotten the princess, now he had to find a way to smuggle her out. Which brought him to a problem. He had no idea how the fuck he was going to do that.

Jaune stopped as this thought made itself known. A part of him had known this was going to be an issue when he'd first entered, but had hoped a solution would present itself. No such thing had happened though and Jaune suddenly found himself in a tight spot. That all to familiar feeling of panic was starting to make itself known, a feeling Jaune had begun getting far to familiar with.

Jaune walked next to the little table and placed the keys back in there original place by all the liquor bottles. He found himself tempted to take a drag from one of the various drinks. His free hand came up to rub his forehead instead, attempting to get the ideas flowing.

His mind decided to try and pitch in to help, as it did earlier with the guards. _Calm down Jauney boy. Lets think this through. I can't just go walking through the halls with her, but I also can't simply leave her without risking the new guards coming back. Soo we need to smuggle her out. Maybe I can check the storeroom again, their might be a sack or box to fit her in. pretend I'm removing garbage and head straight for the well._

Jaune was impressed with himself, if he was to be truthful to anyone who would ask. Up until this point he had stumbled through this fiasco and somehow had come out unscathed. Now this, this was a plan that could actually work.

 _As a matter of fact._ Jaune thought to himself with a grin moving towards the door _. It was going to work, everything was going to be just fine. Confidence and a good bit of quick thinking has gotten me this far, it'll take me the rest of the way. I've got this._ Jaunes hand moved up to grasp the door handle.

"Step this way my dear lord Percival, the cells and our dear princess are just down the hall."

The smile died with a vengeance as jaune felt the pit of his stomach plummet to the floor. Jaune had only heard the loud boasting of Pinky once, but it was enough to cause his blood to freeze.

 _I just had to fucking Jinx it, didn't I?_

* * *

 **Yes Jaune, Yes you did.**

 **And that marks the end of chapter 11. Been a few months since the last update, all I can say is life had to take precedence. And this chapter was a bitch to write. Thank you for all the comments and messages of support I always appreciate it.**

 **So Jaune more or less danced on the edge of the knife in this chapter. Basically trying to micromanage one potential disaster after another. And succeeded more due to dumb luck than anything else. Though Jaune has done well at this I think we can tell things are about to go out of control. As all things in life do, at the worst possible moment. We'll just have to see how Jaune handles things in the next chapter. Thanks for reading and hopefully I'll update more quickly.**


	12. When things go to shit

**Chapter 12 is here and shits about to hit the fan. Thank you all for the comments and messages received in the previous update, I do appreciate the feedback. Updated really late, things got crazy for me. But you've all heard that line before so let's move on. Now onto the show.** **Rated M for Kuroinu. Bold= Emphasis,** _ **Italics= thoughts.**_

When things go to shit

As the voice of Pinky and the others drew nearer, Jaune knew he had only seconds to act. He snatched up the spear and stumbled away from the door back towards the cells. Those closest to the door were too well lit, so Jaune pulled back further into the room. with nowhere to really hide Jaune ducked into one of the cells closest to the back. He placed Prim behind one of the walls just next to the bars, the girl slumping up against the stonework. It wasn't the best of hiding places but it was all that was available to him.

He'd just blown out the torches adjacent to his cell when he heard the dungeon handle start to turn. Ducking back against the wall he picked the spear up, the point aimed to the floor. The door creaked open and the voices of the grotesque pig monsters filtered squeezed through.

"Oy, come out you lazy bastards. We're not paying you to guard inside the cell." The harsh voice of the green clad called out from the doorway. "Where are the fuck are the guards?"

"Not here obviously. Falkirk has really let the discipline in this place fall below standards." Pinky's voice cut in the sound of the door being closed. "It's clear the guards aren't here. They must have snuck off to join the festivities."

A growl was heard followed by the smashing of fists on wood. Jaune didn't need to look to know the table had just been smashed in two. "worthless pieces of shit. I told you we should have used our own men."

"Brother please, we can deal with this later. Our dear lord here is now doubt anxious to return to the entertainment we've provided for him."

"Indeed, it will be nice to enjoy some pleasurable activities after such a long journey." The voice of Percival spoke out. "I must say this is an odd place to keep someone of her status."

It was Pinky whose voice responded to him. "A necessity I'm afraid. All the good rooms are currently occupied by your men. And we wouldn't want anyone getting foolish ideas with her around."

"Good point. Even in the Frostlings we have heard of the Princesses of Kuroinu's remarkable beauty. To even be meeting one has been the dream of many nobles. Let alone what has been promised"

"A most generous from our dear emperor. The former princess Prim is a rare beauty. Soft and pleasing." Pinky's brother growled out as the sound of their footsteps drawing nearer. Jaune had to grip "He values the alliance you have recommended and is eager to seal the pact. Though even we were surprised to hear of her upcoming…nuptials."

Jaune's felt his heart stop as the lord gave what must have thought seemed a dignified laugh to this. "Surprising for a merchant perhaps, but not for one who will be king. The other still place a great deal of stock in one's bloodline and my family doesn't descend from any royalty. A princess to be my Queen, even of a fallen kingdom will go a great deal to securing my claim."

"Of course, your grace. All to secure your claim." Pinky's voice said in a way that seemed agreeable, but to Jaune's ears came off condescending. "Vault-sama is always generous to those who serve him loyally. And he wants nothing more than to see the rise of a friendly nation in these tumultuous times."

 _Bullshit._ Jaune thought to himself as the pig men and lord began to come into viewing, forcing Jaune to slink back in the shadows. Percival was flanked by two of his guards while the pig men walked alone. Jaune had never met Vault, but from everything he had heard so far seeing other people succeed did not seem to be something he cared about. Judging from what he had seen in Carnstein if he couldn't fuck it, kill it or steal it Vault probably didn't give two shits about it. He'd betrayed his own countrymen and rulers, the idea he'd aid some foreigner he met out of the goodness of his heart was simply ridiculous. How Percival couldn't see this and could believe these monsters seemed crazy to Jaune.

 _But that's the point. He doesn't see this because his greed is larger than his caution. And he doesn't see them as equal to him._ Jaune realized as the small group walked by his cell, Percival's face set in a genuinely happy expression while the pig men smiles seemed mocking in nature. Pinky's was especially galling as he took a drink from a flagon of wine in hand. Though they did so where Percival couldn't see him. _It doesn't even occur to him that they'd double cross him. He thinks of them as his chance for real power and he'll do or believe anything to get it. And they'll let him believe it right up to the moment he serves them up his own people. Then they'll give him his true reward._

Jaune's line of thought was broken as the group stopped shortly after passing him by, coming to a stop in front of Prim's former cell. Percival's guards stood to the sides of him as the two pig men moved close to the cell.

"Here we are your grace, your future blushing bride to be." Pinky said gesturing to the cell. Percival leaned forward taking in the shape under the sheets.

"She doesn't seem aware of us. Is everything alright?"

The green pig, henceforth known as Greenly chuckled at the lord's hesitation. "Of course, she's just a bit doped up at the moment. She was loath to be separated from her dear cousin and became quite hysterical at the notion. So, a sip or two of the nightbringer draught helped to keep her quiet for the journey."

"This isn't…permanent right? My people will not be so accepting of having a simpleton for a queen."

Percival didn't see it looking so intently in the cell, but his words caused the pig men's eyes to narrow into red slits. The guards behind him seemed to tense up at the cold fury hiding behind the friendly façade.

As quickly as it left their mask slipped back in place. Pinky chuckled giving the lord a slight slap on the back. "Of course not my lord. Nightbringer draught is only a suppressant that lasts a few days. It should wear off in time for you to sample her before you begin your journey back. Now would you like to personally inspect her?"

Percival seemed a bit peevish at this question, his nose wrinkling as he took a half step towards the bars. "Forgive me, but I've never enjoyed the inside of a cell. If you wouldn't mind bringing her up to the bars?"

Pinky's face twitched a bit, but he turned and gave Greenly a nod. His grotesque brother walked up to the cell the key ring in hand. He fiddled with the lock for a moment before the lock clicked, the iron bars pulling open. The others moved closer to the cell as Greenly entered and made his way in.

Jaune got himself into position, one hand on spear the other on his rusty blade. Any second now his shoddy ruse was going to be exposed and one way or another-

"SHE'S NOT FUCKING IN HERE!" Greenfly's voice echoed out from the cell.

One way or another this was going to suck. Jaune burst out from his cell, sword drawn and spear flying through the air. Jaune was no olympist nor was the spear a javelin. It wobbled through the air in an uncoordinated manner but it flew somewhat true, as it rocketed straight towards Percival.

To Jaune's surprise and Percival's credit the man reacted faster than he'd thought possible. The lord threw himself to the right, slamming himself into a stone wall and dropping to the floor gaping but otherwise dodging the spear as it flew by him. Pinky however wasn't so lucky as the spear slammed into his shoulder. The pig man squealed out in pain and lurched back, his cloven feet proving unstable on stone floor as he tripped and fell into the open cell. Pinky tried to catch himself on the cell gate, but only succeeded in pulling it shut on him.

"BROTHER!" Greenly roared running over to his downed and squealing sibling. Kneeling in the blood his red eyes glared up at Jaune through the bars, eyes gleaming with hatred. Greenly charged forward his voice a low growl "You little bastard, I'm going to strip the flesh from your screaming carcass. Just you wait you little- "

Jaune didn't wait. He turned the lock and yanked as hard as he could, snapping the key off leaving only a nub in the slot. It was just in time as the pig monster slammed into the bars not a second later. He roared and shook at the bars, any semblance of man lost in his rage. The bars seemed to bend and screech in protest, but they held at least for the time being.

That was fortunate because Jaune had other concerns to deal with. Percival's guards, both heavily armed and armored came stomping at him. the leader soldier swung his blade in an overhand chop that Jaune without his armor was able to dodge. Jaune retaliated with a strong thrust at the chest plate hoping to force his opponent away to put some distance between the two.

In the heat of the moment Jaune had forgotten he wasn't holding Crocea Mors and it showed. Used to holding a much heavier blade his rusted blade cut through the air faster than he expected and into his opponent. Metal screeched as the poor blade punched through the armor, coming to a rest three inches out of the soldiers back. The blow without a doubt killed the man.

It also jammed the blade in at the worst moment. Jaune's longsword probably could have torn free but the rusted piece of shit he was gripping refused to give a centimeter. As Jaune tried to yank it out he only noticed a second to late his other opponent caught up with him. The second guard caught Jaune flat footed with nowhere to go, a sideways slash that slammed into his face and snapped his head back. If not for aura it would have split him open like a melon. As it was the man was caught staring dumbfounded at a man who should be dead. Jaune let the dead man go and reared back and struck the man in the face, moving in to grapple with him before he could recover. Percival coughed and hacked behind him as Jaune wrestled the man to the ground. Jaunes hand was shaking to keep the guard's sword hand pinned to the stone. Unable to grab at his dagger, being on the side holding said sword hand, Jaune instead grasped with the man's helmet, twisting it to the side and yanking it free from his head. Right before slamming it back into his face. The first blow stunned the man and made his sword clatter to the stone, the second seemed to have a somewhat opposite effect, the man's hands feebly reaching up to grab at him. Taking a gamble, he let the man's arms go and took the metal in both hands raising it up high.

A squelching sound range out as the helmet edge slammed through the forehead, brain matter and bone chips flying from the fatal wound. The man's body jerked upwards so strongly that Jaune was dislodged, knocking him to the side. Then like a puppet who strings were cut the now corpse flopped to the stone, unmoving. Jaune got to his knees, doing his best to ignore the bits of brain and bone on his front he reached for the guards discarded sword. His hand found the blade when a horrified gasp cut through the air drawing Jaunes attention upwards.

Sometime during the fight Percival had managed to get back to his feet and was staring at Jaune with a horrified expression. "You…it-it can't be you. You left with Ivalice; you CAN'T BE HERE!" The man half shrieked out slowly backing away. Jaune was confused for a moment before his eye caught sight of the dead guard's hand. A cloth lied within its still clutched hand, the red and black material having been on his face a moment ago.

Some of the blood from his opponent's face caught in his mouth as if to mock him. He'd been exposed.

Whatever shock had compelled Percival to stay ended, the lord turning tail to run. Jaune cursed and snatched up the guard's blade quickly rising to make chase. Percival may have had a head start but the dungeon door was dozens of yards away he was winded and Jaune was willing to bet he was much faster than him. If he moved fast he could cut him down before he cleared the cells.

At least that was what Jaune thought before a roaring sound erupted behind him, stopping him in his tracks. No not the roar of the pigmen which had suddenly stopped, nor that of some new monster. No this was one he'd become accustomed to his first night in this shitty world.

Jaune turned around to find that Greenly's thrashing of the bars had dislodged one of the mossy stones from the wall, specifically one of the ones holding up a torch. Straight into the alcohol-soaked straw from Pinky's goblet, spreading a fire that was quickly getting bigger. And heading straight for the princess.

"FUCK!" Jaune abandoned his chase of Percival to rush back to Prim's cell. The roar of the flames combined with the panicked squealing of the pigs drove Jaune hard. Lunging into the cell he grabbed Prim from the floor, hoisting her up like a sack of potatoes, he turned to find the flames quickly turning to an inferno, moving as if alive to block his escape. Flames were starting to spread to the moss and the plants growing from the walls. With smoke filling the room and the flames growing Jaune ran forward and made to leap the flames.

He felt the flame and heat tickle at his legs and for a moment Jaune was sure he had failed. Then he found himself soaring free, the comparable coolness settling on his legs as he hit the floor. Jaune ran as fast as he could, the princess bounding up and down on his shoulder. He cleared the cells and the roaring of pigs and fire grew quieter behind him. In front of him he found Percival having just yanked the door open.

Frightened eyes looked over a moment to find Jaune silhouetted by the flames, his dead guard's sword clutched in hand. Percival shrieked and bolted Jaune moving to pursue.

Which quickly became a problem. The two men running through the tunnels Jaune discovered the chase had change. While Percival was still winded and recovering from his fall Jaune was now burdened by carrying another person. The distance between them wasn't increasing, but Jaune wasn't closing the gap either. And time was on Percival's side, he didn't have to get away all he had to do was make it within hearing distance and Jaune's goose would be cooked.

Percival turned a corner and hit the staircase leaping the steps two at a time. Jaune proceeded to do the same, though with far more difficulty due to his burden. This showed as Percival began to pull ahead. Jaune cursed and kept pushing, but it made no difference. Percival was gaining the lead; he was going to escape!

And then a miracle happened. As Percival leapt the final step he must have misjudged the distance, or maybe he was running out of steam. Or perhaps the gods of this forsaken world decided to throw Jaune a bone.

Whatever the reason, Percival's toe hit the stone wrong sending him sprawling to the floor.

 _He tripped. He god damned trip!_ Hope made its way into Jaune's heart and pushed himself with strength he didn't have closing the distance between them. Percival had just gotten to his feet when Jaune came rushing behind, sword swinging in an arc meant to decapitate.

He missed. Perhaps Percival had heard him coming or had simply hunched over from exhaustion but the blow went clear over his head, wind parting from the swing of the steel. Percival yelped and bolted, the chase on once again. Jaune cursed his luck but continued to pursue the man.

The two ran down the garrison hallway, the previous stalemate having been established, though now Jaune was close enough to see the sweat pouring down the terrified man's back. The two rounded a corner, Percival shoving his way through a pair of black dogs moving down the hallway. The two only had seconds to recover from the hit before Jaune cut through them, his new blade cutting a red arc through the two felling them both. Jaune didn't know if they were dead, there was no time to check as Percival was sprinting towards a closed set of doors. Jaune pushed himself as hard as he could, legs and aura pumping as his boots hit the stone. The blade was dripping as he ran, droplets raining down on his legs like drool from a hungry beast.

Percival reached the door. With strength born from desperation he tried to yank them open, the wood creaking ominously against the strain. He began to push himself through, his voice yelling "HELP! Guards draw your blades, your king ne-GURK!?"

The man's cry was cut off as Jaune drove his blade into his back, the blade poking between his ribs. Jaune felt an almost visceral thrill at having finally caught up to the traitor, the one who'd caused him such trouble, who was going to cause such suffering to his own people. Until this point Jaune hadn't felt much when it came to killing, a bit of discomfort and hesitation but otherwise nothing. Most of those times the men were nameless, people whose history's and lives were mostly unknown to him. It had simply been him or them, and he did what he had to. Percival was different though There had never been much point or time to think about killing. Now he felt vindication, and Jaune never expected it would taste so bitter.

He also didn't expect Percival's body to lurch forward with as much force as it did, the action pulling Jaune with the man through the rest of the door. The inertia and the weight of the three bodies sent the door slamming open, the three falling into a pile. Jaune's head smacked into the floor and left him a bit flustered as he fell to the floor. Shaking his head clear Jaune pulled himself from the floor and looked around.

Jaune felt his heart plummet into his stomach as he found himself in what had clearly been a party, dozens of frostling and black dog soldiers surrounding him in a mess hall, all turning to see what had interrupted there merry making.

Complete shock reigned as men simply stared at him and more importantly the lord and princess on the floor before him. Jaunes eyes despairingly swept the room as the soldiers looked at him frozen in place. Men stood about with drink and food half raise to lips. Silence proved far louder than Jaune ever thought it could as he found himself stuck in a room full of rapists and murderers.

Jaune was royally and utterly fucked. His eyes drifted towards the closest soldier, a frostling soldier whose sword and helmet had been set by the table. The soldier looked towards the body on the ground, the eyes widening as he realized who was moaning and bleeding out in front of him. The hand nearest to the sword twitched and began to move.

"DRAW YOUR BLADES!" A voice screamed out breaking the silence, the tone haggard and high pitched. It took Jaune a second to recognize it as his own, his mouth spouting off without his brain following along. "HE KILLED THE MORTADELLA BROTHERS, THEY TRIED TO KIDNAP THE PRINCESS. GUT THESE FROSTLING PIECES OF SHIT, KILL THEM ALL!"

Silence once again followed his outburst as disbelief washed over the crowd, none more so than Jaune himself. What he'd just yelled was complete and utter bullshit, the desperate act of a caught man. In his mind there was no way this could possibly work. Though Jaune could see eyes flitting back and forth across the room, but no one quite knew what to do. Well except for one. The soldier nearest to him lunged towards the table, hand reaching to wrap around the pommel of his blade.

He never made it. The black dog standing behind him drew his blade out and stabbed it into the back of the man's head. The now dead soldier didn't have a second to scream as his body crumpled to the floor, armor and body crashing to the stone. His murder had only a moment to snarl in victory as a spear launched itself through his chest.

What followed could only be described as madness, as would be allies screamed and threw themselves at each other with murder in their eyes.

* * *

Men who'd been drinking and partying only moments ago fell upon one another, legs of meat and drink tossed aside for daggers and swords. The clashing of blades mixed with roars of pain and anger as blood flew up from the air. There were no battle lines, no real sense to what was happening. The black dogs were supposedly the better fighters, but the frostling's armor and close proximity kept them from forming up properly. Some men were cut down before they'd had a chance to react. Others having no opportunity to draw their weapons punched, clawed and strangled one another as best as they could. Tables overturned as the storm of violence spread across the room, the roar of which could not have possibly escaped those outside the room.

Jaune watched dumbly for a few moments before snapping out of it as a frostling soldier emerged from the melee, eyes murderous and a spear aimed to fill him with holes. The teen yelped and jumped up, arms grabbing at the spears shaft. The tip of the spear still skimmed the side of his torso, cloth tearing away from his side but aura leaving him intact as Jaunes hands closed around it, his other slamming into the man's throat. The soldier crumpled gasping to the floor as Jaune ripped the spear away. He had just enough time to get a proper grip on it before he was force to duck low a swipe from his side. He turned and thrust his arm forward, leaving the spear in the screaming form of his second attacker.

Back on his feet he moved towards Prim, picking up her prone form from the floor along with his sword from Percival's body, the blade popping out with a wet pop and groan from the man. The door he'd entered earlier was now blocked by a few corpses even as shouts and pounding could be heard from the other side of the door. There was no leaving that way.

That left only one option. The doorway on the other side of the room.

Jaune gritted his teeth and moved. He moved quickly along the wall doing his best to avoid both attention and the slaughter happening besides him. Considering what he had said and who was on his shoulder it should have been impossible, but those in the room were too busy killing each other to take note of him. The occasional soldier would notice him sneaking off, but this glance to him cost them dearly, as the opposing side would generally cut them down for their inattention.

Jaune had nearly made it across the room when his momentary luck ran through. A trio of black dogs had managed to kill their opponents and made their way over to him. One of them growled out behind him, "Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

Jaune turned back to look at them, sword still dripping blood. Jaune turned back to them, hoping to pull off another miracle. "Getting away from the fire and the fighting preferably. The basements are burning up as we speak. Can't you feel the heat beneath us?"

The trio gave a nervous look between each other, before one of them kneeled down and touched the floor. "Gods he's right, the stones are starting to burn up. No wonder your ducking out."

"And going to leave us to burn as well. Or I suppose you were going to come back later princess in hand?" The first mercenary growled out, hand noticeably clenching his blade. "Why don't we just go to Falkirk, let him sort this all out."

That was definitely on the top of the list of shit Jaune had no intention of doing. Right up there with getting killed and being thrown off a cliff, and the latter already happened. "Sure, let's just waltz across the room currently burning up with bloodthirsty morons."

"We'll make do, but first hand over the princess. And your weapon if you please." The mercenary said in a tone that brooked no argument. Jaune looked over at the other two but found no help there. The two men were raising their blades, ready to take him down.

In the midst of this though something else caught Jaune's eye, his eyes growing wide as saucers. "Watch out behind you!" Jaune yelled out, pointing behind the threatening man.

"You think I'm an idiot? I'm not falling for th- ". The mercenary stopped speaking halfway as a spear tip burst through his chest, the frostling soldier who had snuck up behind him letting go to draw his sword. The two remaining dogs were upon him before he had gotten it halfway out. The men hacked at him incessantly, rage at the death of their comrade. The man's armor held up only a few seconds before a particular nasty strike cut through the man's gorget, lacerating his throat. The two soldiers breathed heavily looking down at the dead man blood staining the stone beneath their feet.

It was only in that moment that they realized something critical. In their need for vengeance they turned their back.

Jaune didn't give them a chance. Seeing his opportunity Jaune had run after the two, his sword swinging as soon as they'd killed the soldier. The first man Jaune slashed across the lower back, the steel sliding through flesh and organs. The man crumpling down to the floor as the second turned to swing at Jaune. Jaune didn't block, he aimed to swing through his opponent's blade and aimed for his neck.

Whatever you might say about the frostling fighting ability, you couldn't deny their ability to make a decent blade. It not only held up against his opponent's sword, but also went straight through his neck sending the man's head flying. Jaune had never decapitated someone before, so he wasn't prepared to see the horror of the corpse keep moving, walking forward a step or two before crashing to the floor. He also wasn't prepared for the small geyser of blood that shot forward onto him, covering him from head to torso.

Jaune felt the need to vomit, but he suppressed it along with the need to wipe his face clean. While most of the men in the room were either incapacitated or dead it was clear the black dogs were beginning to win, the blood thirsty mercs advancing on the remaining survivors. A few of the more cautious ones turned to look behind them for attackers.

They found nothing. Just a room full of corpses and an open doorway.

Jaune grimaced as he ran from the bloody mess hall, still feeling the warm blood dripping down his face. Every now and then a bit of it slipped into his mouth and Jaune had to resist the urge to gag. The hallways were empty before him, filled only with dead soldiers and slaves to terrified to get in his way. Jaune couldn't blame them, up until this point he'd done a pretty good job avoiding blood in his fights. Now he must have looked like he bathed in it.

Only a minute or two passed from when he exited the mess hall to when he found the exit. To him it felt far longer than that. the guard who had been standing there previously were missing, not dead but merely not seen. _I expected the guards to show up by now, where the fuck is everyone?_ Jaune never stopped moving pushing open the door and exiting the building.

Jaune got his answer as he emerged back under the dark storm, the heavy rain and lightning mixing with the screams of combat. Jaune wondered no longer where the missing guards were. They lay dead next to their killers. Perhaps it was the smoke billowing out from the garrison, or maybe the commotion in the mess had spread faster than he thought.

Whatever the reason didn't matter, as Jaune saw a few hundred men doing their best to cut each other down. The entire town was fighting one another now. The brawl in the mess had been chaotic, with little warning and immediate pandemonium. Outside it was proving little better as corpses lined the streets, soldiers and civilians, men and women alike. Though to ease Jaune's guilt a bit he noticed far more of the former than the latter.

What caught Jaunes attention most though was a voice yelling out close by over the din of battle. "Close ranks and form up you useless sacks of shit. Push those bastards back and keep them separated. Don't let one of those fuckers live, if anyone of them escapes I'll skin the lot of you!"

Jaune turned to see who was making all the fuss, only to immediately duck behind an overturned table as the man turned towards him. Jaune peaked between the cracks of the table, doing his best to ignore the corpse he was sharing the space with

Falkirk. It just had to be god damn Falkirk. The commander had made it out of the garrison and was reorganizing his soldiers. The man's gold handled falchion in hand, he was quickly cutting his way through the flagging frostling soldiers. The man was skilled, the sword cutting a bloody path whatever direction it swung. A pair of frostlings with sword and axe respectively tried to flank the commander, aiming high and low to cut him down. Falkirk blocked the axes overhead swing, kicking out into the swordsman's leg to knock him off balance while carving a hole through the axe wielders throat. The swordsman tried to retaliate, aiming at the commanders outstretched arm in hopes of cutting it off. Falkirk didn't try to block, in a daring move he tossed the sword up with his wrist snapping the arm out of harm's way. As the blow passed by harmlessly Falkirk caught his airborne sword and swung down hard, severing both man's arms. As the man screeched in horror Falkirk looked down at the man, a sick grin blooming across his face.

Leaving the literally disarmed man to bleed Falkirk moved to follow his men down the street, eager to find more soldiers to kill. Jaune thanked hell it was in the other direction. Tired, armed and armored as he was, there was no way he could beat that. Even with his armor and Crocea it still might not be enough.

Seeing that the coast was about as clear as it could be, he made his way from the main road to the back alleys behind the houses. It seemed the majority of the fighting was taking place in the plaza and the market; the houses and huts were almost like a tomb in comparison. Occasionally Jaune had to duck into cover or the shadows as some men ran by, but for the most part it was deserted.

Soon enough Jaune reached his destination, the abandoned well living up to its name. After the nightmare that had been the last hour the darkness within its stone had never seemed more inviting. Jaune sheathed his taken blade and moved to climb up the stone. Reaching into the well he felt about for a bit before finding the metal hand holds.

With a tired groan Jaune swung himself over the side, feet on the metal as his hands held onto the stone. He slowly descended into the well, being sure to be careful for Prim as he used his one hand to keep steady, the other keeping her in place. After the shitstorm Jaune had gone through he was officially done with Carnstein. Okay to be fair he had already been done with Carnstein the first five minutes he'd been here but he wouldn't miss any of it. The bastard black dogs, the backstabbing traitors. All the blood and death and fire and the smell of bacon-

 _Wait, bacon? Why the hell am I smelling-_

A monstrous hand latched itself around Jaunes arm, stretching far into the well. Aura reacted to the monstrous strength, but Jaune still felt his bones grinding beneath his skin. Jaune's feet slipped from the metal and if not for the arm he would have fell. He looked up to wards the top of the well.

He found red hateful eyes looking down upon him. "Leaving so soon? One should never simply crash a party and leave before meeting the host. Its bad manners. And I know a few men just **dying** to meet you. And once they are done getting to know you, I'm going to eat you alive."

The arm started retracting, the meaty hand slowly but surely pulling him up. Jaune thrashed and twisted but the arm had a tight grip on him. He couldn't break free, and he couldn't grasp at his dagger without dropping Prim. A fall from this height on her own? The fall would surely kill her.

So, there was only one thing to do. As disgusting as it was going to be. With as much strength as was left in him Jaune lurched upwards craning his neck as high as his spine would allow. He managed to get his face within inches of the restricting hand.

And then he bit it for everything he was worth. Blood and meat similar tasting to pork filled his mouth but he refused to let go. It seemed to have the desired effect as the hand's owner released him in a squeal of agony. However, in doing so it pushed Jaune beyond reach of the ladder.

He and Prim both plummeted into the dark. Jaune managed to wrap the girl in his arms just in time for the first slam into rock. His body slammed into the walls as he fell, his aura flaring with every hit. Jaune turned his body as best as he could to shield the girl from damage, though to what effectiveness he didn't know. As he took a particularly nasty hit to the ribs he pondered if his aura would hold.

Then the hits just stopped and for a moment Jaune felt relief. He was simply free falling and it felt rather nice as the wind blew past him. Then he hit the water.

Still as the pool had been the splash left his body stinging in pain, aura or no. This was immediately offset by the coolness of the water. If Jaune had been in less pain he would have felt some happiness from the landing. The pool had proven deeper than originally thought, a fact which had saved them both. In the moment though he was just trying to swim.

Jaune finally broke the surface with a huge gasp. For a moment it was all he could do to breathe and stay afloat. One arm still wrapped around Prim he paddled himself to the edge of the pool, with a pain filled grunt he pulled himself out of the water, taking a slight sitting position to then pull the princess out as well.

Jaune's first instinct was to check on the pink haired royalty by his side, a hand going to touch the side of her neck he turned her head and felt for a heartbeat. Confirming that she was still amongst the living Jaune pushed himself up with a groan. It would have been easier to list what parts of him were not sore, but Jaune couldn't sit around for his body to heal. Time was still not on his side even separated from the raging battle above him. Jaune have picked, half dragged Prim over to the wall and grabbed the oil and torches from earlier, dousing one in the small Jug for when he set out into the tunnels. With a small heft he pulled the princess over his shoulder and moved to leave the chamber.

Or he would have, if a massive splash from the pool behind him didn't stop him in his footsteps. _Its just a rock, or a piece of the railing. Something you dislodged during your epic fall._ Jaune's inner voice failingly tried to assure him as he turned around, his blade halfway out of his sheath already.

The water erupted forward as a massive form large as an orc squealed out, moving with a speed unnatural for a body that side. Jaune was slammed backwards into the wall. The blow knocked Prim from his shoulder and the sword from his hand as he was slammed into. A pair of clawed hands moved to tear out his throat, jaune only managing to catch them by the thumbs.

"Thought you were in the clear you fucker? I already told you're not going anywhere."

His eyes adjusted to the darkness, Jaune found himself staring into the grotesque pig face of Greenly. Or well the even more grotesque face. Jaune had no idea how he'd escaped the fire, but the flames did little to improve his image. The once pink skin was charred and discolored from the flames, and even the areas that didn't look charcoaled were a discolored from the heat and the smell of cooked pork wafted out of his ruined suit. A maddened look was in his red eyes, a pink and blood froth formed at the edge of his mouth.

Jaune had to crane his neck back as that mouth tried to get bloodier, the teeth snapping at his throat. Greenly's mouth grew into a downright vicious smile as Jaune struggled to break away from him "You know when I first saw you, I noticed something wasn't right. You didn't smell like the others, a certain lack of filth to you. I noticed, but I ignored it. My mistake. For trying to kill me and my brother, I hold no grudge. That's just part of the game. But trying to steal our beloved little Prim? For that you'll die scream-AAAAGH!"

Jaune didn't know why villains felt the need to monologue in movies or books, but it always seemed to work out in the hero's favor. As it did when Jaune's hand had slipped down to a badly burnt section of skin on Greenly's forearm. A part Jaune had promptly ripped up. As the pig man screamed in rage Jaune was able to dodge away, picking up the blade from the ground.

Greenly roared out as he turned, spotting Jaune weapon in hand. If he was afraid it didn't show as he reached behind him, withdrawing a wicked looking blade from somewhere in his bunched-up clothes. "Fuck the interrogation, I'm going to feast on you right now!"

With another roar Greenly charged forward, the wicked blade arcing through the air. With the pool on one side and the wall on his other Jaune had no other choice but to block the blow. It hit hard, but nothing Jaune hadn't faced up until this moment. He pushed the blade off and struck back, a blow aimed to disembowel him.

Greenly wildly knocked it aside with his clawed hand, a small spurt of blood welling up from his hand. If it hurt him Greenly didn't show it, rushing forward to wildly hack at him. Jaune blocked the first and dodged the second before landing a glancing blow in the pigman's side. A bit of blood spurted out, but Greenly kept going.

This continued on for a minute or so, Greenly attacking and Jaune just barely staying out of danger. The disgusting monster fought like a rabid animal, relentlessly with no thought to defense. He merely continued hacking at Jaune with each blow driving him back. It left him open for counterattack, and jaune cut and slashed the monster. But none of them were a killing blow, and the pain only seemed to drive the monstrosity on further. Jaune knew neither of them could keep it up much longer, the pigman's wounds had to be having an effect and he was pretty banged up, aura or not. Something would have to give.

As it would happen, that thing proved to be Jaunes sword. The steel well maintained as it was could only stand up to so much punishment, and the pigman's hacking proved to be the breaking point. A particularly vicious chop cracked the blade in the middle, the upper portion falling to the pool.

Greenly howled in victory charging forward with the force of an ox. It was all Jaune could do to keep on his feet as he was thrust into the wall, Greenly's forearm pressing into his throat. His own broken weapon was knocked to the floor as he grasped at the arm to push it back.

He stopped all struggles in horror as Greenly held his blade to the side, his expression one of sick pleasure. Jaune saw murder in those eyes and knew it to be his own. His heartbeat seemed to be getting louder and louder, each one an increasing thump in his ears.

"That's it." Greenly growled out, his beastly tongue licking his lips as he spoke. "That's the look I absolutely adore. That expression of complete despair when you take everything from someone. Be their money, their innocence even their life. It is such exquisite ecstasy. When I leave this place, I am going to fuck every woman in this shitty little village, including that sad little princess you tried to save. I'm going to eat and drink like there's no tomorrow. All of that will be well and good. But I want you to know this next part…"

Greenly hefted up the blade, arm poised to bring it swinging down. "This is the part I love." Greenly screamed in victory and swung down. Jaune could only watch the descent of the weapon that would kill him. It arced down at him the metal whistling through the damp air, the thumping reaching an all time peak. Jaune's eyes closed themselves, as if trying to protect him.

He expected to feel the blade slam home, to hack and hack at him until he was nothing but a bunch of bloody chunks when that didn't happen he peeked an eye open to find the blade stopped in place. Not by itself, but by a massive hand wrapped around it. Greenly was no longer looking at him, he was looking to the side.

And his expression of glee had shifted to one of pure terror.

Jaune made to turn his head to see what was there. Standing no more than three feet from them was the god damn troll, old Rockgut was looking at them with its small black eyes (small being a relative term in this context) staring down dumbly at both of them. If Jaune was tall for his age and Greenly was huge then the troll was massive, easily two heads over either of them.

"Oh fu- "Was all Jaune got out as he found himself staring at the ceiling as both he and Greenly were smashed across the chamber. There was no slowmo like in the movies, no funny expression or comedic theme to it. One minute he was standing on the verge of death, the next he was flying straight into the wall across the room. the blow and the subsequent stop proved to be to much for his aura to handle. He collapsed to the floor head bouncing off the stone, the light of his soul crackling over his skin before winking out. With an almost exasperated groan he pushed himself up to his knees, one hand resting on the floor. He was hurting, hurting pretty badly but was relatively in one piece.

His would-be murderer was not so lucky. Greenly laid crumpled on the floor, his body twisted in a way that just wasn't natural. The once terrifying beast who'd been reduced to a whimpering mess, its one good arm clutching the side. Somehow it had managed to hold onto its blade, had lost it to the stone a few feet away.

Jaune took this all in a moment though, his eyes moving to lock on to the much more dangerous creature. He expected to find the beast lumbering towards him its arm outstretched to crush his skull. To his surprise the beast was nowhere near him.

To his horror that was because it was heading towards Prim.

Jaune shoved himself to his feet, snatching up the crying pigman's weapon and running as hard as he could. The beast was just stopping in front of the prone girl, its nose sniffing in her direction. It lowered its arm and stretched out its hand, leaning over to pick her up as big globs of drool flowed down its confused face.

Rockgut's confusion increased further as a flash of steel swooshed in front of it, the beast hand was half cut off as Jaune slashed into it. After taking a moment to process what had happened the troll roared in fury, its good arm raising up to smash Jaune where he stood.

Jaune had no intention of making it that easy. Knowing he couldn't pull the weapon out he let it go, dodging the fist that left cracks in the stone. The troll swung with its half-crippled arm at him, the arm Jaune noticed already beginning to mend itself back together. The blow was strong, but terribly slow. Jaune rolled under it and snatched Prim up running for the entrance.

He didn't bother to try picking up his broken sword as he knew that it would be virtually useless. As the thing turned to lumber behind him Jaune realized two things at once. One was he might be able to outrun the beast, but not in the pitch dark of the tunnels where it would be easy to be lost. And two he couldn't do it without aura and while holding prim at the same time. He had one shot to kill this thing, the jug of oil on his hip.

At the entrance of the well chamber he stopped and turned, finding the troll still a fair distance away. Putting prim down quickly he grabbed the flint from his pocket and reached over for his torch and oil.

As he pulled the ceramic jug from his belt he could tell something was wrong. It was far too light. His eyes turned to the item in hand only for his heart to sink. At some point in the fight a crack had been smashed into the side where as he looked liquid continued to pour out. He turned the crack face up to stop the loss but the damage was done. There wasn't nearly enough inside to burn the beast now, all he could do was get the torch lit. he poured what was left on his remaining torch, a small pool of it forming at the entrance. He took the flint and started striking the pieces together. Sparks flew from the rock and towards his torch, but the liquid refused to burn. The troll grew nearer and Jaune grew more desperate as he smashed the rocks together trying to get alight. It got to the point that the flint was starting to break apart in his hand. He was acutely aware that the beast had stopped before him, its arm already cocked back to strike him down. Jaunes arms went into overdrive, stones fracturing chips on the floor as Jaune desperately sought that one spark.

FWOOSH! Fire roared up from the floor as the small puddle and torch became a small inferno. Rockgut stopped mid punch and lunged back eyes glued to the two humans across from it. It slapped it's hands on the ground and stomped its feet. As the fire seemed to spread and out and lower a bit the creature paced back and forth, seeing if it could make the distance.

Jaune was quick to squash that idea, taking the torch he waved it back and forth across the fire. "BACK AWAY BEAST! Or I swear I will light you up like a candle."

The troll roared at him smashing its fists into the floor. The stone cracked and the flames flickered, but the fire held true. Jaune would not be deterred. "NO! You will not be getting either of us today. You will let us leave or you will burn."

Jaune didn't no if the creature actually understood him, but even if it didn't the fire seemed to get its point across. But the oil wouldn't take long to burn out without a source of fuel. And Jaune needed to make sure the beast would not follow. But how?

In that moment the answer made itself known as the sound of metal being strained was heard. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement, someone he had forgotten up to this moment. Jaune kneeled down and picked up a stone, getting a firm grip on it as he stood back up. The troll looked at him a bit curiously wondering what he was doing.

Jaune knew what he was about to do was bad, and for the briefest of moments he felt a bit bad. As he saw the fires flames fade a bit lower though he crushed that sympathy and cocked his arm back. "Besides your dinner is getting away."

Jaune let the rock fly through the air, over the troll's head and into the wall on the other side. Rockgut followed its path and watched it smash into pieces and fall to the floor. Right next to Greenly. The injured pigman had somehow managed to crawl over to the ladder and was trying to pull himself up. As the stone fell next to him, he looked over to find both Jaune and Rockgut staring at him. Greenly let out a terrified squeal and began struggling up in desperation.

Faced between a painful dilemma and an easy meal Rockgut didn't need much sway. The dumb beast shambled away from the fire and over to the ladder. Greenly had managed to pull himself up a few rungs when he was yanked squealing from the metal. Rockgut sat at the edge of the pool holding its squirming prey in hand, its short legs kicking up small waves in the water. It didn't like when its preys cried out like that so he raised it up and smacked it a few times on the rock for good measure. Satisfied that it was quiet it took the delicious smelling little monster in both hands and began raising it up towards its mouth.

Greenly, a beast of Gluttony who had indulged and devoured at the unwilling expense of others, came out of his disoriented state in time to see a gaping maw looming ever closer. He squealed and shook and even begged for mercy, but as he had done so many times himself mercy was not found.

Greenly had just enough time for one terrified scream before Rockgut began eating him.

* * *

Jaune didn't bother to wait and see this for himself. The moment the troll had taken a few steps away Jaune had picked up Prim and bolted as fast as he could. He tried not to think about the horrified shrieks behind him or how quickly those screams cut off. His only focus was putting as much distance between them and him as possible and getting the hell out.

That more than anything else proved the easiest part of his night. When he'd gone into the tunnels there were many paths that descended downward, but the same did not hold true going up. The path he'd taken was easy to navigate in comparison and with the fear behind him Jaune was booking it. As he neared the top the began to grow clearer even as his torch began to wane. For a moment he worried that the light would simply peter out on him leaving him lost in the dark. Then he turned the corner he saw the night sky gleaming up at him.

The sight of stars and clouds put a little extra dust in him, the teen knight nearly sprinting up the rocks. Emerging from the mountainside he saw the old shanty town from before, the abandoned structures bringing far more joy to him than should have been possible. This doubled when he saw Lily riding down towards him, his asshole horse in tow.

"I saw the smoke from all the way over here. What happened?" Lily asked as she rode up near him, a look somehow both relieved and concerned on her face.

"The plan went to shit, that's what happened. But I got her out, here I'm going to pass her to you. You're the better rider."

Jaune took Prim from his shoulder and passed the petite girl up to Lily. He had to hold her steady for a moment as Lily struggled to get her in place. Once she was properly in place Jaune went to his own horse and painfully clambered up, his aura reserves still basically non-existent. Jaune gave his horses sides a light kick, sending the horse into a light trot, Lily following suit.

As the two traveled out of the quarry Lily looked over to him, wincing a bit at the blood splattered everywhere. "You're not wounded or anything are you? I mean all the blood- "

"Most of it, if not all of it isn't mine. I'm pretty banged up but I'll be fine in a day or two."

"Oh, that's good…I guess." Lily said, her eyes cast downward. She looked over at him again still worried for her friend. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Jaune let out a small sigh and met her eye to eye. "About as good as I could be given the circumstances. I'll be even better when we get back to Dietrich's. I promise you Lily I'm doing alright."

Jaune shifted a bit on his horse, a strange expression on his face. "Though I swear on the goddess, I'm never going to eat bacon again."

Lily's look of worry turned to confusion at that statement, but before she could ask Jaune gave his horse another tap to the sides transitioning to a light gallop. Lily wanted to call after him to find out what the hell that meant, but the weirdness of the statement made her waver. After a moment she merely shook her head and moved her horse to catch up.

Some questions were better left unasked.

* * *

 **And that is the chapter. I apologize for the late update but this one was fucking hard to write. Large parts of the chapter were primarily action based, and without much dialogue that is surprisingly hard to write. I actually had to redo a few of the sections because I wasn't satisfied with how they turned out. Add that with my sister's wedding happening right at the end of August and things went to hell quickly.**

 **So Jaune and Lily's plan succeeded, though not without everything falling apart. Sometimes failure can work in your favor. And Jaune's big mouth actually saved him for once. Though the aftermath of this decision will still need to play out. Won't Dietrich be surprised? Well I'm hoping to get another chapter out before the middle of October, but it will probably be towards the later half. I just got done with my sister's wedding and now I've got my older brother's wedding coming up as well in the middle of October** **. Two weddings within 60 days of each other, how fun (and by fun, I mean expensive as hell). Thank you all for your support and I hope you enjoyed it. See you next time**


	13. A Rude Awakening

**Chapter 13 has arrived, after much anticipated waiting. I'd like to have a reasonable excuse, but truthfully, I got distracted playing FFXV. It's my first time playing it and I've been having a blast. Also, I had to rewrite this chapter once or twice, just wasn't happy with the earlier version. I appreciate all the comments and support from the fanfiction community. Helps me to keep going. Now let's get this rolling.** **Rated M for Kuroinu. Bold= Emphasis,** _ **Italics= thoughts.**_

A Rude Awakening

"Bullshit."

"I'm telling you the truth."

"You yelled out for them to kill each other, in the middle of a party covered in blood and with a princess on your shoulder. And they just did it."

"Look you don't have to tell me how stupid that is, if I wasn't there, I wouldn't believe it either. I don't have a logical explanation it just…sort of happened." Jaune said from where he half slumped on his horse. Though he'd felt the return of his aura begin some time ago the bangs and bruises he'd gained still pulsed over a large portion of his body. Taking a short stop to ditch his borrowed uniform and cleaning himself of the blood did a lot to help. At least he couldn't smell the blood anymore. "How else would that make sense?"

He gestured towards the column of smoke behind them billowing against the night sky. Hours had passed since the two had ridden out from the stone quarry, but the smoke hadn't receded. Over the tree line one could still see the light from Carnstein's blaze.

Lily simply sighed at the view, turning her head back towards the road. "By all rights it really shouldn't. But I suppose we have living proof right here." Lily gestured towards the comatose princess. Having to balance the little woman had slowed them down somewhat, as a steady trot likely would have ended in her falling off. The pink haired beauty had bounced one side to the other silently as they had journeyed away from the burning town. At some point she had fallen asleep on the way in. "Not the best given her current…condition. You sure she'll snap out this? A witness isn't very good if they can't talk"

"The pig men seemed to think so, apparently it only lasts a few days. But they didn't specify when they doped her so it could start to wear off at any moment or we could be waiting awhile."

"Well, I suppose that's good. It would be better if we had the documentation as well but getting either was always a longshot. Both would have been nearly impossible." Lily lowered her head under an overhanging tree before righting herself, tugging Prim back in place. "I don't suppose we're lucky enough for Falkirk to be consumed by the fire?"

"Sadly no." Jaune shook his head before stopping halfway, the flesh around his throat still tender from where Greenly had been chocking him. "Last time I saw him he was fighting the Frostlings in the streets. Well slaughtering them is probably more accurate. One of them might have gotten him in the back when he wasn't looking, but I wouldn't bet money on it."

Lily seemed as if she was going to respond but opted instead to remain in silence as Two Rivers came into view. Jaune sighed in relief at the collection of little houses just in view. Only a few lights could be seen from where they were within the darkness, far fewer than would be on if the village was in turmoil. For all the madness that happened in Carnstein the village slumbered on unaware.

"Oh, thank the gods, I could sleep for a week." Jaune moved to usher his horse on, only to pull up as Lily motioned to him.

"We can't just ride in, even if they are asleep. Let's ride past and sneak through the field."

Jaune took a look down at the muddy road, the darkened soil and water mixed together into a squelching mess. "The mud could be too deep for the animals. We can't risk one of the horses getting injured in the fields. You take the horses in by road and I'll take the princess in by foot."

Not waiting for a response Jaune dismounted from his steed, his shoes sinking into the mud. Jaune grimaced as he felt some dirtied water mix in with his toes, the water soaking through to his soaks. Ignoring the shiver that went through his feet he walked over to Lily. Taking the sleeping royal from her he shifted her into one arm, handing the reins over with the other.

"Head on over, I'll be there soon." Lily nodded, giving a slight snap to the reigns, the horses going off in a slight trot. For his part Jaune step off the side of the road disappearing into the fields.

The smell of wet rain mixed with the smell of grain the as Jaune walked between the stalks. Moonlight pour from above him as the leaves of the plants brushed against the sides of his arm. The mud as he predicted was pretty bad, his feet sinking into the earth. More than once he felt his leg become unbalanced, nearly spilling both him and his passenger to the ground.

In spite of some of the sudden movements and jerks made as Jaune snuck through the fields Prim remained sleeping. Holding the girl under the back of her knees and back Prim's head lolled against his shoulder. Occasionally the girl Jaune swore he could have heard the girl say something, but if she did it all came out as gibberish to him. Jaune felt the girl's breath against his neck, the warm breath contrasting with the cold air of the night as it raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

 _It might have been smarter to ride closer to the village before dismounting in hindsight._ Jaune thought to himself as he trudged on. At this rate it was going to take more than a bit of time. The sound of sucking mud and swaying crops were all that kept him company as he moved towards the village.

A cracking sound was all the warning he had before he felt himself pitch forward, the root beneath his foot snapping and his leg sinking down. Jaune yelped as he teetered towards the earth. He arched his back and wind-milled one arm in a last ditch to keep upright. He half succeeded, falling to one knee. The blonde teen grimaced as the mixture of water and mud soaked through his pant leg.

Jaune breathed a bit heavily as he kneeled in the mud, his tired and battered body screaming at him for the sudden exertion. Taking his free arm, he grasped Crocea in his hand and stabbed the sheathed blade downwards. Using the priceless relic as an impromptu crutch he pushed himself up, a fresh wave of pain and fatigue pushing through him. "I hate fucking mud!" Jaune growled as he regained his footing.

A small snort came from beneath him, causing his heart to lurch for the second time in as so many minutes. Jaune looked around for the noisemaker but could find not a sight of anything. Then another one made him look down. Prim gave out another little snort, eyes still closed in whatever dream she was in. the ends of her lips were curled up in the barest of little smiles.

"Glad to see at least one of us is having a good night." Jaune grumbled, his heartbeat slowing as he realized where the noise was coming from. Readjusting his grip on the girl and continuing on his way.

A while later Jaune found himself at the edge of Two Rivers, his breathing heavy as he made his way behind Dietrich's house. Fortunate to for the night was beginning to give way to day, the dark blue sky beginning to take on pinkish hue. Looking both ways he jogged out from the field, hurrying his way to the door.

It opened up as he made his way near, Lily's head poking out from the shadow. Jaune ambled by her.

Jaune sighed as he heard the door close behind him, the sounds of locks and latches music to his ears. "Next time, huff huff… we just ride into the village. Sneaking through the fields, not as easy as it should be."

"Sure, next time we raid a black dog town to expose a plot, we'll do it your way. Oh, what happened to your leg?" Lily said with a bit of a smirk on her face as she walked down the small hall to the kitchen. Jaune huffed and made to follow, his gait significantly less stable than hers.

"Funny, what's this **we** part your talking about? I'd like to- Ooof." Jaune let out a small puff of air as he walked into Lily's back, the girl having gone still as a statue.

"Yes, by all means, please enlighten us." Dietrich was sitting at his table, eyes focused on the fireplace as the flames ate at the logs. Pipe in hand he was loading into the herbs in. "I was surprised to wake up in the middle of the night to answer the call of nature only to find the two of you gone. Now I know it's common for teenagers to sneak off to the woods for a bit of fun in the bushes, but somehow, I doubt that's why you were gone. So why don't you tell me-WHUU!?"

Some part of Jaune was happy to see the complete look of shock on Dietrich's face as he turned to look at the two of them, only for his jaw to open like a gaping fish. Several motions of what might have been words slipped out and turned to nothing as his pipe slipped between grip less fingers hitting the floor with a thunk. It would have been funny if not for the redness that was marching its way up Dietrich's neck and towards his head. It reminded him of the moment in cartoons when characters heads would shift into steaming kettles.

It was also this moment his mouth decided to open itself without permission. "Umm, we can explain."

* * *

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MINDS!? Dietrich roared at the two seated teenagers, both grimacing at the bits of spit and phlegm fly out of the man's mouth. "I MEAN SERIOUSLY WERE YOU BOTH DROPPED ON YOUR HEADS AS BABIES!?"

Jaune winced a bit at the volume being directed towards him. it had taken most of Dietrich's patience to allow them to place Prim in the upstairs bedroom. What was left burned out upon retelling Jaune's little adventure through Carnstein. The words barely finished leaving their lips before the old man erupted. "Dietrich, we need you to listen-"

"NO! I don't need to do shit. I've done this job for nearly four decades without incident. Then you stroll along and everything goes up in flames. In the case of Carnstein's case literally." Dietrich spat out at him before whipping towards Lily, hand outstretched in her direction. "And you, I'd expect this kind of idiocy from the boy but I never expected it from you girl. Of the two of you your supposed to be the smart one."

Lily gulped at the finger pointed towards her, responding back in a shaky tone. "I know your upset and I understand why. Perhaps we were a bit reckless. I can admit that now."

"Reckless?" Dietrich blurted out in a humorless laugh. "You endangered not only the lives of yourselves or mine, you risked mine. If extreme luck and stupidity hadn't been on your side, we would all chained under a torturer's knife before sunset. That put at risk every agent and spy still living in the kingdom. And even if we put that scenario aside, you still managed to find a way to fuck us."

"Bu-But we succeeded. Their alliance is completely shattered, the Mortadella brothers are dead. We even rescued the princess, irrevocable proof of their intent. How did we fail?" Lily responded back confusion evident in her voice.

"There are two ways you failed. First, by ignoring my plan and going with your own, you have ensured that the border will be closed. A pigeon carrier couldn't hope to make it across now, let alone the two of you. If what you said is true an army will arrive within a few months and with or without their traitor allies, they will invade. And now we have no way of warning the legion. Best case scenario, the legion barely fends them off and Carnstein still burns. And that will be a fucking longshot."

"That can't be right. The forest is massive, and Falkirk must have lost at least half his men last night. How could they hope to monitor it all? There must be other routes we can take." Jaune challenged him from where he was sitting.

"Sure, there might be. There could be some old or unused path over the border. We don't know where they are, there are no signs or maps with which to guide us to them, and we could starve to death after getting lost trying to find them. We'd have to avoid any notable landmarks because any black dogs hunting us will know them as well. If we do manage to make it over the border it could be weeks or months longer than we would need to warn them in time. And assuming we manage to deal with all of that we'd just have to get by all the various beasts and demons that now call the forest their home. Anyone feel like going for a hike?"

 _Well when you put it that way how could we fail?_ Jaune's inner voice as always supplied itself unwantedly to him. It was easily one of the bleakest assessments of anything Jaune had ever heard, but damn if he was unable to refute it. Jaune felt a bit like a man sentenced to be hanged, the rope tightening just a fraction of a moment before the drop.

"You umm, mentioned a second reason." Lily almost whispered from her seat, her head hanging a bit. The confidence the blond girl had been expressing earlier clearly gone.

"Let me answer yours with a question of my own. Is Falkirk still alive?" The silence that met him seemed to hang in the air, and it didn't take long for Dietrich to continue. "Thought so. By now he's finished killing what's left of the nobles; and it won't be long till he realizes her highness there is missing. He'll have men going from village to village kicking down every door and overturning every rock to find her."

"That's not as bad as the first one." Jaune blurted out, drawing Dietrich's eye to him. A bit emboldened he pressed on. "Its not as bad. Dietrich must have lost at least half his men fighting, with more out due to having suffered wounds. Between closing the border and holding Carnstein he's doesn't have a lot of manpower to spare. Not to mention the rain wiped away our tracks and scent, he won't know where to look for us. So, unless he calls in for help-"

Dietrich interrupted him with a short laugh, one lacking in any levity. "He's not going to fucking call for help. He can't let anyone know what really happened here, and certainly not without her in possession. But he's not going to just sit on his hands hoping she pops out of a portal either. Normally you'd be right about the town, and the alliance being destroyed. Falkirk will pin the blame on the pig brothers. And considering he was one of Vaults original men he could probably get away with that. But the princess changes things. Falkirk will be putting every abled man on a horse even if it means letting Carnstein turn to ash."

Seeing the confusion on the two teens faces Dietrich sighed and sat down, the anger in his voice bleeding out into a more tired tone. "You have to understand, what you've done is going to make Falkirk desperate. He can't simply report that the alliance is finished and Prim is missing. Vault values his royal harem more than anything, they're not just something pretty for him to fuck or trade on a whim. To him they are a symbol of his victory, a sign to his followers of his strength. Of his right to rule. That young girl sleeping upstairs, fucked up as it might be, is more important than any throne or crown to Vault. Falkirk knows this. He knows if she's not in his possession when he has to explain everything that happened, he can kiss his ass goodbye. You saw him strangle a man to death for **nothing** when he was completely calm and in control. Now try and imagine what he might he might do when he's afraid."

Jaune could imagine it, and it wasn't good. Images of chopped of limbs and heads were most prominent in his head at the moment. He cleared his throat and sat up a bit straighter. "So…what should we do? What's our next move."

"Oh finally going to listen to me now are we? That'll be a first." Dietrich quipped before continuing on. "For now, we stay put and prepare for the worst. You and I will be getting the house fortified as best as we can. Windows doors, everything blocked up from the inside. Anyone asks, where just getting it ready for winter. Lily you'll keep an eye on sleeping beauty upstairs, get something cooking for breakfast, it's going to be a long day. Oh, and keep your blade on you, just in case."

"You don't think they'll come here first do you? There's at least a few other villages between Carnstein and here." Lily asked as the trio stood up to begin preparing.

Dietrich didn't respond to her, turning his gaze to Jaune. "You sure you killed everyone who could recognize you, no one from the bar or one of the Frostlings?"

"The only one who could identify me by name was Percival, and I put a sword through his back. He was bleeding out last time I saw him. As for everyone else they were too busy killing each other to really take notice. I don't believe I saw anyone from the bar."

"Yeah, cause your beliefs are really inspiring me right now." Dietrich drawled, cracking his shoulder blades behind "If they show up in the next few hours will know how well placed that faith was. If they don't…we might have some options. Now let's get to work."

* * *

Hours passed as night soon gave way to dawn, the smell of cooked goat and fresh fruit mixing with the hammering of nails and wood sounding through the early morning. While Lily prepared the early meal the two males had gone to work sealing the house together. Windows and their wood slats were nailed shut; furniture moved closer to the doors in the event they needed to be blockaded. The main doors already had drawbars on the inside, but now had a few nails sitting by, ready to be hammered in if necessary.

Between the slats of the windows Jaune could see the rest of Two Rivers waking up from a relatively peaceful night. A rested and relaxed state Jaune was finding himself envious of as the day kept going. The workers were headed out to the field as linen and cloth were hung on lines to dry. A few children were running down to the creek with loads of cloth in there arms, smiles on their faces. The sound of laughter made its way from the outside. Jaune simply sighed and rubbed his eyes, a morose feeling settling in him. They had no idea what was possibly coming for them.

"Hey Jaune! Make yourself useful and get up here. Need your help lifting something."

Jaune turned from the freshly sealed window and headed up the stairs where Dietrich's voice had echoed from. The wood creaked under his feet but otherwise held firm as he made his way up. Arriving on the second floor he found Dietrich lowered into a crawlspace, his bed pushed to the side. Prim was laying on top of it, still as dead to the world as ever. A thick blanket was pulled up to her chin, the girl slumbering away.

"Quit lollygagging and give me a hand! This is heavy."

"Sorry." Jaune blurted out going down to one knee. "I just felt tired for a moment."

"Well you could have gotten a full night sleep last night, but you decided differently. Now I'm going to lift up, you grab and lift it the rest of the way."

Following his instructions Jaune leaned over and reached in, his hand pushing into the whole. He heard Dietrich give a huff and Jaune felt a small handle make contact. Jaune huffed and pulled up, the wooden chest easily clearing the floor. He turned and placed it on the floor, the oak and metal making a small thud as he did so.

"Bloody hell." Jaune turned back to find Dietrich staring at him, surprise on his face. "I know you lifted me off the ground before, but by the gods, you picked that up like it was nothing. I could barely get it off the floor"

Jaune scratched the back of his head, giving out a small laugh. "You must be exaggerating It uh…it wasn't that heavy."

"The chest alone is nearly a hundred pounds, not to mention everything in it. How the hell…you know what never mind." Dietrich shook his head before lowering himself in, snatching up a long rolled up cloth. "Here, take these then help me out."

Jaune took the cloth from Dietrich, laying them down to his side before grasping the man's arm. With a small grunt he hauled the elder out from the hole, pulling the man to a standing position. Dietrich huffed a bit from the effort, moving over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Thanks. I know most people my generation talk about this with nostalgia, but trust me on this. Don't ever get old."

"I think for now I'll just focusing on making it to another birthday. What did we just pull up?" Jaune asked looking to the old man. Dietrich didn't immediately respond back, breathing for a moment before giving a gesture to the items.

Curiosity eating at him Jaune kneeled down again, hands undoing the cord around the clothes and unrolling the cloth on the floor. Inside a pair of spears lay together, the shafts a dark oak, contrasting with the lighter patterns of the floor. The spear tips were a dull grey, the leaf shaped blades pointed with a wicked edge to them. The spears weren't fancy by any means, but they had the look of something meant for the battlefield.

"Weapons from my days in the legion, before I came to this pit. Black dogs don't typically allow the people to carry weapons unless they have sanction, and even then, typically reserved for hunting and fishing. I hid these though long before they ever got into power." Dietrich said lifting one up with the sort of ease that only came from practice. He turned the weapon in his hands, eyes looking over it with a bit of nostalgia. "These are relics compared to those used today, not really meant for punching through steel plate or shield. But thankfully the enemy isn't keen on armor so we should be able to kill at least a few dogs with them. Be better with shields but you've already got one and I'm too old to lift mine anymore. I got something else for you in the chest."

Dietrich handed the spear back to Jaune, the smooth grain of the wood running along the palm of his hand. Placing it back on the rug next to its twin, Jaune turned to the chest and opened it, finding a red cloth covering the contents.

Removing the cloth jaune found a crossbow and set of bolts placed to the side. It wasn't the first time Jaune had seen such a weapon, but as Dietrich had said the weapon was a relic in comparison to what he saw in his world. An amalgamation of steel and hickory wood bound the weapon together, a simple sight placed on the end. The string spanned the length of the bow, about three feet in diameter. The bolts themselves were smaller than Jaune thought they'd, significantly shorter than the arrows Dietrich had used before. They also lacked the wider edges of the arrowheads; the metal having been framed with a longer and more circular point.

"You ever fired one of those before?" Jaune shook his head no, Dietrich sighing and indicating to the weapon. Jaune pulled the weapon from the trunk and handed it to the spy.

Dietrich took the weapon and placed the bow end on the floor. "It's a simple enough weapon really, doesn't require much in terms of skill. Its what makes it deadly. Place your foot on the side of the frame, or tiller if you prefer, and pull the bowstring with both hands like so. Once you get it high enough, you pull on this tab here to lock it in place. We call it the nut. Following so far?"

Jaune nodded his head as Dietrich carried on picking up one of the bolts from the chest. "Then the rest will be simple. Just place the bolt along the shaft and nock it to the string." Dietrich mimed the motion, putting the bolt aside rather than nocking it." Finally, just place it firmly against your shoulder, aim and pull this trigger down here."

Without warning Dietrich's finger hit the trigger, the nut releasing the string with a sudden twang. Jaune jumped a bit at the sound, much to the amused snort of Dietrich. With a grunt of satisfaction Dietrich removed the weapon from his shoulder. "I missed that sound, the screams that usually come with it less. I prefer the bow myself, easier to reload and you can hit targets farther away. But up close the crossbow beats it in terms of accuracy and ease of use. Go on, try it yourself. Just, aim for the wall opposite of me"

Jaune took the offered weapon and launcher, then attempted to follow the motions he'd seen earlier. It took him a minute to pull out the nut properly to restrain the string, but once it was in place, he nocked the bolt and placed the crossbow to his shoulder. Aiming at the aforementioned wall he targeted a noticeable knot in the wood before pulled the trigger.

Jaune barely felt any kick in his shoulder as the projectile flew from weapon. The bolt pierced the wooden panel, a few inches higher than he had planned for. Dietrich simply stood up from the bed and strode over, taking grasp of the bolt and pulling it out with a quick jerk. "Well, I've seen worst first shots. Just make sure to aim for the center mass. Stick one of them in the belly with a bolt and it'll put them out of the fight."

"You really think they're going to come here? So soon after losing so much.?"

"Its inevitable." Dietrich said with a nod, placing the bolt back in its chests. "Could be today, or tomorrow, or a week from now. But they'll be coming, I would bet all the gold in the world on it. Maybe someone from the bar recognized you. Maybe someone puts two and two together and realizes that things went to shit around the same time you showed up. Or maybe they could just choose to use you as a scapegoat for their fear and anger. Tends to be the fate of a lot of foreigners in any land, let alone this one. In the end the reasons matter little, they will be here."

Jaune looked down at the crossbow in his hands, a sense of unease and guilt in his gut. "Look Dietrich, I…I know I might have fucked up. Since I got here really. I didn't mean for things to happen as they did and I just want to say, his tone resolute in his answer-"

"If you'd known ahead of time the consequences, would you have chosen to do anything different? Would you have not helped Lily, or done nothing and slipped out like I planned? Could you have made a different choice?"

Jaune didn't say anything, his mind pondering the question laid before him. Logically he knew what he should say. That he would have done his job more quietly, without drawing attention to himself. That in the grand scheme of things Carnstein and Lily were just one town and girl respectively small in comparison to the world. That stopping Vault should take priority over all of that.

It's the answer he knew he could have; no should have done. And yet…

"No, I couldn't have." Jaune answered honestly. "I know it makes me a pretty crappy spy but I couldn't have simply done nothing."

"Even though it would have been the smart thing to do, the one with the most chance of success?"

"Even then." Jaune replied from where he was standing, his answer resolute in its tone. Dietrich stared at him for a moment, his eyes reading and searching. For what Jaune wasn't sure.

The moment soon came to pass, Dietrich simply turning from him to look out the window. "Then don't apologize. You made the choice you made, all that's left is to deal with the fallout. Take the weapons downstairs and get a bite to eat. We'll need to go out to gather crops soon to keep the locals ignorant."

Like that the conversation was over. Jaune stood there a moment looking at Dietrich's back as he stood staring out the window. He felt he should say something, but if that was the case the words simply wouldn't come. Bending down he rewrapped the cloth bundle and slung it over his shoulder, crossbow and bolts in the other, and left him to his thoughts.

* * *

The rest of the day passed with the same tenseness as it had begun, work accompanied by a watchful eye focused on the horizon. By luck or by grace the day had ended with no riders in sight. Luckily no riders had made themselves known. The two men were sitting at the table after having locked up the house. The two were silent, Dietrich smoking away while Jaune nursed a bowl of broth Lily had made up earlier.

Both had their respective weapons sitting within arm's reach of each other.

"Don't suppose they might try to come at us in the middle of the night?" Jaune said, circling his spoon at the bottom of the bowl."

"Maybe, but I doubt it." Dietrich said as the smoke from his pipe wafted between his lips. "Fighting at night as you know can be one hell of a confusing mess. Your perceptions are off, its hard to keep your footing; and hard as hell to tell between friend and foe. To much chance they'd hit the princess by accident. We'll set a watch tonight but we should be fine."

"Great, if we're lucky they'll let us have breakfast before trying to kill us." Jaune said a bit despondently, lifting the bowl to drain it dry.

Dietrich was about to respond when their attention was drawn to Lily coming down the stairs, a bowl and washcloth in hand.

"How's her highness doing?" Dietrich asked as Lily sat down at the table with them. She placed the bowl on the table, the wood clinking as it made surface with the table

"Alright, given the circumstances. I was able to get her to swallow some broth and use the lavatory. She seems to at least understand basic commands and phrases, but outside of that there's no real communication. I think she's still drugged up."

"Not surprising really. Nightbringer is meant to be used to calm down those in hysteria or who are suffering insomnia. And only in small doses. For her to be like this they must have been dosing her for weeks." Dietrich left it at that, taking another puff from his pipe.

"Should we be aware of any potential side effects? Anything to look out for?" Lily asked as she poured herself a bowl.

"From the drug? Thankfully no, Nightbringer is a rather natural herb, worse thing she might get is a wicked headache." Dietrich responded waving his hand off at her. "The real danger will be her reaction. A normal girl being drugged against her will and then coming to weeks later surrounded by strangers in a strange place. That would be hard enough to react calmly to. And after everything that happened, I doubt her reaction will be normal. We'll need to keep an eye on her."

"I could stay up with her, she might react better if it's a woman she see's first." Lily suggested between spoons of chicken and veggies.

"That would be ideal but you can't watch her all night. We all will take turns watching over her."

"It sounds like if she does snap out of it tonight it'll be later in the evening. I can take the first watch if you both want. So, you can both rest up before then." Jaune offered from across the table.

"Appreciate that, but can't." Dietrich said shaking his head in refusal. "If the dogs show up your going to be our best bet in a fight. Which means you more than either of us need to be rested. You'll be taking the third shift, and a rather short one at that. I'll take the first and Lily will take the second. When its our shift you'll watch from the upstairs. You can see the whole village from there, if the dogs show up you should see them. Whoever's not watching sleeps on the ground floor. You should both rest soon, going to be a long night."

Dietrich stood up from his seat, taking the bow and spear with him as he did. In the confines of the darkened room he made his way up the stairs, the but of the spear lightly thudding with each step. For the first time since Jaune had met him his gait matched his age, at least to Jaune's eyes.

"I think I should follow his advice." Jaune said standing up and stretching his arms out, the joints of his back making a few popping sounds. Properly stretched out he picked up his sword and gestured to the rugs and blankets left out on the floor. "You coming as well?"

"In a minute. I'm going to finish up and then do a last-minute check on the locks."

Jaune nodded his head at this, the exhaustion and work of the last few days seeming to settle in on him, aura or no aura. Striding down the hall he arranged himself on one side of the assorted cloths. He only took the thinnest blanket for himself, knowing if needed he would be able to toss it aside without becoming tangled. Before he laid down, he drew his sword from the sheath and placed it down next to him. a few pulls of his straps and his armor followed suit, leaving him in his pants and trusted hoody

As his head finally laid itself on the pillow he sighed and closed his eyelids feeling as heavy as weights. He knew he should have felt restless knowing what tomorrow may bring, but a part of him was to tired to recognize this.

He fell asleep to the sound of Lily's spoon scraping the bottom of the bowl. His sleep was dark and devoid of any nightmares.

* * *

Jaune was slumbering peacefully on his stomach when a shaking of his shoulder began to rouse him. Instinctively his body tried to fight it rolling himself further into his cocoon and grumbling for the offending hand to go away. The individual would not be deterred though and began to shake his shoulder even further. The small thin digits pushed at him with a force greater than expected

"Alright, Alright I'm up." Jaune groused half awake from his resting place. He yawned as a hand not his own pulled his blanket from him, eyes half opening as he made to roll on his back. "Geez not exactly the wake-up call I'd expect from you Lily. You could have just called out my-"

Jaune's speech faltered as his eyes snapped wide open, locked on the person laying next to him. Lily was faced towards him, eyes shut in the blissful dreamland Jaune wished he was in right now. Her blanket pulled up to her chin, he could just see the outlines of her hands clasping at her shoulders.

On her shoulders. Most definitely not on his.

Jaune made to roll to his side, to grasp at his blade when he found his momentum turned against him. His previous inertia used to move him to his back as a sudden weight fell on his stomach. The suddenness of the move drove the air from the teen, and yet was oddly soft. And hot, a surprising heat emanating through the cold night. Once Jaune got his bearings back he saw why.

Frantic blue eyes met hungry ones of a darker shade, and a smile far to giddy warranted for the current situation.

"Hello handsome stranger. You want to have some fun?"

* * *

 **So, someone felt the need to say hello. And at such a late time of the night to, how rude. Seriously this chapter I think was the hardest for me to write so far. Not because of how much there was but how little. When limbs aren't being hacked off or damsels being saved dialogue can be a bitch and a half. Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.**

 **So yeah, Dietrich was a LITTLE pissed off once he found out what Jaune and Lily pulled. Not without just cause of course, they really did half ass it to the point of no return. Was it right for them to do what they did? I'd argue yes, but Dietrich is also right, they have backed themselves into a corner now with no easy way out. Be interesting to see how the next few chapters go.**

 **For those of you who were wondering this story is obviously not dead, I just had a hard time with this chapter. I also wanted to get this story fleshed out a bit more, and spent some time working on the story arcs and general direction and flow. I've had stories before where I didn't do this and those typically ended up fizzling out and dying, which I didn't want happening this time. I think I got it planned out for at least 3/4ths of the story, but we'll see how things go. Thank you all for reading and see you next time.**


	14. The Depths of Ones Soul

**Chapter 14 is ready to go. Wanted to thank everyone who chose to follow or comment this story, helps to keep the motivation going. There are a few things I want to comment on, but I'll save them for the chapter notes. That said let's get right into it. Rated M for Kuroinu.** _ **Italics=thoughts,**_ **Bold=emphasis**

 **The Depth of One's Soul**

Jaune being a teenage boy was no stranger to the situation he found himself in. Growing up with access to the CCT he'd seen his fair share of porn vids and the various fantasies that were played out across the net. The pizza man visiting the bored housewife, the sexy schoolteacher who needed to discipline her misbehaving students. All those and more had made its way across his scroll by the time he was fifteen and Jaune would be lying if he hadn't thought of this exact scenario. A guy going to sleep only to be awoken by a beautiful stranger with hunger in her eyes. He wasn't afraid to admit that this had been a bit of a fantasy of his growing up.

Fantasy, like porn itself, proved to be far creepier in reality. Getting woken up in the middle of the night by a stranger had his heart thundering in his chest, eyes bulging out in his sockets as he gaped at the girl above him. The only thing that had kept him from lurching away and back was the soft weight of the girl currently squatted on his torso.

And it was soft, by the gods it was soft. Sixteen or not the princess had the body of a woman grown, sizeable hips and a rear his sisters would have killed for was nestled on his stomach. It seemed to wiggle a bit side to side, sending the blood rushing through his veins as her pale and smooth legs locked to keep him in place. Those legs led up to a dress that did far to poor a job to hide what was beneath, creamy soft skin leading up to-

"Oh my, it's rare for someone to spend this much time just staring at me. Like what you're seeing?" Said a voice that seemed both sweet and somehow lewd at the same time.

Jaune's eyes snapped up from where they were wandering to a pair of vaguely amused ones staring down at him. _And here's where the creep factor rolls back in._ Jaune lamented as he looked up from his position. Jaune had never seen a set of eyes that looked active and dead at the same time. Prim's blue eyes looked at him, amusement and something Jaune could only assume was lustful looking at him.

And yet they also seemed empty, something missing from the eyes of anyone else he'd ever seen in them. It reminded him of a puppet's eyes, beautifully painted but lifeless in that way only an inanimate abject could have.

"Umm, hello there." Jaune said from his position on his back.

"Hello." Prim responded back; a loopy grin split across her face.

"So, I know you seem comfortable there, but you mind backing off me so I can sit up? It would be more comfortable for me."

"I don't know. I'm pretty comfortable right here." Prims voice whined out in a dulcet tone, the index finger of her right hand drawing a lazy circle on his stomach. "Besides I've always liked being on top. Don't you like it as well?"

"Ye-I mean no. Wait that's not what I meant." Jaune blurted out, both from experience with this situation and knowledge of how fucked up this situation was. "I just mean it would be easier to speak with you if I didn't have to crane my head up at you."

"We're speaking just fine right now, and besides I can think of something more fun than sleeping."

"Aren't you just the little bit curious about who I am or where you are right now? You were drugged up at least for a week or two." Jaune asked a little exasperated at his predicament. Not to mention the princess's soft hands lazily moving over his torso.

"Not really, time always seems to fly these days. Oh! I do have a question?" Prim said leaning forward towards him, face suddenly very close to his. Amongst other things. "My sweet cousin Alicia. Is she here with us?"

Jaune simply stared at the girl for a moment before shaking his head. "Sorry, no. I'm afraid they just brought you along. I don't know where she is."

"Oh, that's a shame." Prim said a bit of disappointment making its way into her tone for a brief moment before vanishing. "She and I have always shared everything, even when we were little girls. Though I promise you even with just me this will feel almost as good."

Whatever Jaune was going to retort with died in his throat as the tracing finger began circling lower. The digit made a slow path across his torso that set his blood racing. Past his navel and over the lines of his abs towards his-

Jaune let out a small yelp and shot back in an attempt to get out from under the crazy girl. With his size and overall strength, he should have been able to do so easily. What he hadn't counted on was the girl's hands clasping on his hoodie like a pair of clamps. He had managed to scoot back and get into a half rising position like he wanted, but instead of shifting her off he had pulled her straight into him. Jaune ended up falling away, his feet tangled in the blankets as his back hit the wall behind him.

Cursing his luck Jaune made to break further away only to halt as a pair of arms snaked their way around his neck, a head of soft hair resting near his collar. A hot breath blew from below tickling his chin. "Oh my, I guess you did like what you saw. Such a naughty boy to pull me in like this. Strong too."

Jaune stuttered out as he shook his head in denial, cheeks turning red as he became aware of the pair of soft globes pressing into his chest, far larger and softer than anything he'd imagined in his fantasy. "Yo-You got it wrong. I-I wa-wasn't trying to do that. I was just trying to get up."

"Oh, I'll get you up. And more than once I promise."

Jaune had to resist the urge to slam his head against the wall behind him and scream. He was trying to be a gentleman, to not be a piece of shit who would take advantage of an unwell girl. It shouldn't be this difficult to do that. He just needed to calm her down without setting her off while trying to do the right thing but **god damn it** she wasn't making it easy. With her breasts in his chest and her breath on his neck the effect was causing all sorts of unusual things to him. He'd almost prefer taking a sword to the mercenaries over this, at least that was simple enough.

"Alright that's enough." Jaune said in what he assumed was an authoritative tone. His hands moved to the girl's shoulders, pushing her as gently away from him as he could. "I think we need to set a few ground rules, set some things straight between u- "

"Jaune, who are you talking to?" a voice slurred out to the left of the two, a set of purple eyes groggily opening up. "Is it my turn to take watch? It seems to be a bit WHAT THE FUCK Jaune!?" Lily's voice transition from groggy to fully awake as she took in what was in front of her.

Normally a pissed off blonde would have stopped Jaune dead in his tracks. Hell having grown up in a household with nine such woman had ingrained the instinct in him. It was about as natural for him as breathing at this point. And having a delirious princess sitting on you when both of you were one clothed layer from naked was enough to set off anyone's internal scumbag warnings.

But that wasn't what made him stop. No that was what he had accidently poked Prim with. Or rather, what part of him was poking her.

Prim's grin widened further than it already had, her lower end making a movement that felt far too good for what an action separated by layers of cloth. "Guess you weren't kidding about getting something straight between us."

"Jaune." Lily didn't speak out so much as she growled it, pulling the blankets from around

"This isn't what it looks like." Jaune felt lame even before he said it, but when the truth was all you had it was all you could go with. That had to have some merit, right?

According to the look on Lily's face, not a fucking chance. "I don't care what is, just get off her."

"G-Get off of her?!" Jaune barked out unable to keep the disbelief from his voice. "Do I look like I'm on top right now. Get her off of **me**."

"I think the goal is for both of us to get off together."

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Jaune almost yelled at the pink haired girl, who seemed to devolve into a fit of delirious giggles. Lily simply huffed and stepped over, taking a knee besides Prim and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Your grace, I don't know if you remember me, but I served in your cousin Alicia's convent. The Order of the Blu rose? Does any of this ring a bell?"

Prim's eyes drifted over to Lily; her face vacant as she hummed in a confused manner. Something like recognition seemed to pass over her face and a small smile broke over her. "Were you perhaps one of her knights? I remember them, so brave and strong, at least until Vault and Beardsley had their way."

"No, no I wasn't one of her knights. I was one of her nuns." Lily said with a grimace on her face.

"One of her nuns huh." Prim seemed to think to herself. A moment later she gave a small shrug to emphasize her lack of interest. "Maybe you were one of them, maybe you weren't. I was a princess once, now I'm considered no different than any other woman. Why do you ask me these things?"

"We'll we-that is Jaune and I." Lily said gesturing over to the unhappy occupant in the room. "Rescued you from the black dogs yesterday and brought you here. We are going to do everything you can to keep you safe."

"You're going to keep me safe? So that would mean you're here to help me. Hmmm." Prim contemplated this, her eyes drawing away to look down at Jaune for a moment. Something seemed to sparkle in her eye, something Jaune really didn't like. Prim spoke next in a lower voice inaudible if not for their proximity to each other. "Is that what you're saying? That you're here to help me?"

"Of course." Lily said in a hushed tone leaning in closer. "We only want to help you."

"Oh, that's good. Then help me motivate him."

Lily looked confused for a brief moment before a hand latched on to the back of her neck, the blonde girl letting out a short yelp of surprise. Surprise quickly being silenced as Prim pulled her into a searing kiss. Lily was frozen in shock as the smaller girl proved her dominance, her other hand coming to rest on Lily's ass pushing their bodies together. Lily moved as if to pull back only for Prim to press forward, tongue pushing through to dance with the other. Jaune sat their mouth agape as the two attractive girls kissed.

The need for air finally surpassed the blonde girls shocked state, yanking herself from the smaller one's grip to fall on her butt. "What…what the hell was that?" Lily gasped out between deep having breathes.

Prim simply tilted her head to the side, a confused expression on her face. "What? You said you were here to help."

"I meant to keep you safe from the black dogs. Not to suck face with you."

"Well that doesn't make sense at all. I know that I'm pretty yet neither of you want to play with me. Somethings wrong." Prim said in response, her expression shifting from confused to something Jaune couldn't identify. Her eyes seemed to be staring at nothing as any form of joviality left her face, her lips set in a thin line. "This is Kuroinu, you should be jumping at the chance to split my legs open. So many others have whether I liked it or not. And in the end, that's all that matters. Here a woman's value is only in how she pleases the superior gender. Only bad or worthless girls fail to do that and I can't be bad. Bad girls punished, they get taken to the dark room and are broken and punished and taken until they come back better with their eyes glassed over mind broken and I can't go back to the dark room again. No no no no no please I can fix this. Please don't make ME GO BACK!"

Prims voice Jaune watched in horror as the girl almost lunged at him, his hands held up before him the only thing stopping her. He gripped her by the shoulders holding her up as she began struggling. "Calm down, no one's going to make you do anything."

"No no no, I won't fail again." Prim said her head shaking side to side as her struggle began to become more frantic. Lips curling up in a smile that exuded far more insanity than he wished to see. Her hands pawed at him fingers curled like claws trying to grasp at his clothing as if she would tear them from his body. But her eyes were the worst, they seemed far more like an animal's than human. "I can do better; whatever I did wrong I can make it up to you. I'll cook, I'll clean I'll make your body feel so good, I promise. Mouth, ass whatever it takes to make you happy. If you'll just let me."

As her pleas grew more vulgar and her voice continued to rise Jaune could only watch this in numb horror. Jaune had seen a lot of fucked up shit since coming to this world. Murder, rape, the madness of battle. But this was worse than all of that. To see someone this broken, their mind completely shattered by the cruelty and greed of others. It seemed too much to even fathom.

 _What am I even doing here?_ Jaune thought as his arms began to shake, the exertion from both trying to keep the girl off him while not hurting her began to take its toll. Lily came over to try and help but soon found herself planted again, an unintentional elbow knocking her back. _This is insanity. This is complete and utter madness. Her mind is gone, I've seen homeless guys yelling at the pigeons with more sense than this girl. I'm supposed to save the world? How can I do that when I can't even save this girl?_

 _And there's been_ _ **no**_ _end to it. One heap of bullshit after another. Murder and accusations and lying and killing. No time to think, leaping from one desperate thing to the next, I've had enough. I need a minute, a moment to make sense of all this. I…I just..._ _ **I JUST-**_

"I JUST WANT IT TO STOP!" Jaune yelled out as the frustration and tension he'd been holding in finally exploded out. His eyes closed as he felt rage and blood pumping through his veins. So much that he couldn't hear anything around him.

* * *

Moments later even as his blood simmered, he could still hear nothing. Not the frantic movements of the girl above him nor Lily's attempts to talk Prim down. Not even the crackle of the fire Jaune knew to be roaring in the fireplace. Jaune willed his eyes open.

The world had really stopped. The flames of the fireplace were frozen, Lily and Prim were as still as statues. As was he, for the second time in his life he had the surreal experience of staring at his own body. His hands gripping Prim even as the mark on his hand glowed bright.

 _Wait a minute. The last time things were like this, I was in the forest. Frozen in the sky, just me and-_

"You seem to be having a hard time." A voice whispered out behind him one he'd only heard once before. "You were right when you said this burden would an unfair one."

Jaune turned around towards where the voice was coming from, blue eyes meeting with beautiful green once again. Well, that and a lot greener than he expected. No goddess in the flesh was present before him, no white robes or almost sinful curves. Instead Celestine floated before him like a spirit from old ghost stories. Jaune could see through her to the other side of the wall, her body and aura glowing with a green tinge. It was kind of like looking at someone through tinted glass.

"Celestine?" Jaune dumbly blurted out, his eyes wide as saucers. "Is that really you? I mean I'm not going insane right."

"I am here…in a sense of the word." Celestine said, her voice seeming to drift like someone speaking from far away. "And you're not mad. At least you're not there yet anyway."

"I don't understand. Why are you here?" Jaune asked his neck craned a bit to look up at her.

"I'm here because you seem out of your depth, and you need my help."

"Out of my depth?" Jaune asked as a choked laugh made its way out of his lungs. Jaune had pictured many ways in which a reunion with Celestine would go. Never once did he picture any of them being this pissed off. "I've been out of my depth since I got here. From the moment you dropped me outside that burning village there's hardly been a moment where I haven't been fighting or running for my life. I even prayed once or twice for you to help me. You didn't think any of those times were worth aiding me?"

Celestine frowned at the angry teen, her form floating down to get near him. "I'm sorry for what you have been forced to struggle through, the burden that has been placed on your shoulders. Truly I am sorry. But none of what has happened was anything I didn't warn you about. I prepared you as best as I could."

"No amount of warning could have prepared me for this." Jaune shot back, bitterness creeping into his tone.

"I know." Celestine acceded the point with a sad nod. "I would have helped you if I could've, but my power is more restricted here than your world. Bound in more than simple chain and sorcery, I must conserve what strength I have left to me. Even speaking to you like this is painful, and gives strength to our enemy. And yet I will endure this, as you must endure your own trials."

Celestines eyes moved away from him towards the scene frozen in time. Her eyes softened when they landed on Prim and she floated over to her, a sob escaping her throat as she looked at her crazed expression. "Oh, sweet little Prim, I am so sorry. What horrors they must have inflicted on you to make you into this? My heart breaks for you. At least it gladdens me to see you out of their hands."

"It doesn't matter." Jaune said with a sigh, walking to stand by her. "Can't you see I got here too late? Whatever the black dogs did to her destroyed her sanity. She's completely broken, whoever she was before all of this is gone."

"No, she is not gone. I can still sense her soul, unsullied inside of her. The evils inflicted on her have not broken her spirit. Nor is her mind truly broken." Celestine said, a hand brushing over the side of the girl's cheek." "She is merely hiding."

"Hiding? What are you talking about?" Jaune asked, confusion creasing his brow.

"Sometimes what happens to someone is so horrible, so altering in effect that the mind cannot take it. Events and memories of pain, suffering and betrayal can be deadly to one's health. The soul can scar just like one's skin, and wounds of that sort often can last far longer than those of the flesh. She could not take the horrors inflicted on her, especially at the rate they were happening. So, she did the only thing left to her. She hid away within herself, created what you see now to keep safe from the pain. A false personality, a **caricature** to exist in this world in place of herself."

Jaune turned his gaze from Celestine towards Prim, her hands paused in mid pull of his hoodie. "How is that supposed to help? I mean I understand the idea of a decoy, but what happened to her still happened. A lie can't protect you from that."

"We all lie to protect ourselves Jaune." Celestine responded, her hand pulling away from Prim. "We tell white lies and half-truths and complete falsehoods when it suits us. The truth after all is sometimes more harmful to tell than the lie. Sometimes we do this to others, but most often we do this to ourselves. We tell ourselves we were brave when we were cowards, righteous when we're vindictive and even guilty when we're innocent. We change memories in our head to make them more exciting, less painful, less shameful. There is no one you can ever be better at deceiving than yourself. It sounds wrong on the surface, but it can also save you Jaune. Reality as you have seen can be quite cruel."

Celestine floated away, her ethereal form coming to rest behind Jaune. "But things cannot last like this forever. The walls she uses to protect herself are now a prison keeping her locked up, keeping her from healing. And as you can see her foundations are cracking. If she doesn't come out from behind her walls soon, they will fall apart and the remnants will crush her."

"Will she come out?" Jaune asked, eyes still locked on Prim. "I mean, is such a thing even possible?"

"On her own? No. She has become too adjusted to her cell, too comfortable in blissful despair. That is where you will have to step in." Jaune made to ask, but was silenced as a pair of hands rested on his shoulders. Celestines breath tickled the lobe of his ear as she spoke. "My time here grows short, and it will be quite long before we can speak like this so I need to be quick. When you were lost and in need of aid, I gave to you what protection I could. Your soul met with mine as I set you on this path and it is time for you to do the same for Prim. Protect her Jaune, and give to her the power to protect herself."

Jaune made to turn his head, made to look at her. But soon found his legs giving out beneath him as the weight of the world seemed to press down on him. he felt his body fall, farther and faster than anything that should have been possible. Darkness fell over his eyes once again, her voice fading next to nothing even as he strained to hear her once more. He could barely make them out as time flowed once more.

* * *

Jaune found himself on the floor again, the volume of the two frantic women returning far louder than he remembered. He heard Lily calling to him, though for the life of him he couldn't make out her words. His hands were still holding the poor girl back as they had been. Nothing in that brief moment of time had changed. But Jaune was calm, he had an idea.

"Prim. You can calm yourself now. You've motivated me" Jaune said, feeling anything but as his hands made their way down her arms, clasping her smaller ones in him. He took a deep breath before he began to speak. "I understand now what it is you seek, what you need more than anything. And I'm going to give it to you."

The reversal in Prims face from frantic to hopeful was so fast it was disconcerting. "Really?" Her face smiling as a hand came away from his shirt to twirl at one of her locks of pink hair.

Lily's reaction on the other hand was far less docile. "WH-WHAT?!" Lily sputtered out, disbelief and shock settled on her face. "Jaune, you can't be seriously thinking about this. What do you think you're- "?

Jaune pulled Prim closer to him, while behind her back he raised a hand towards the blonde girl silencing her. _Please Lily, trust me on this one._ Jaune thought and tried to convey to his friend as silently as he could, mouthing the words before responding as if Lily hadn't spoken. "Of course Prim, no sane man would refuse you. There is just something I have to do first."

"What's that?" Lily asked into his ear, a slight suspicious tone mixed in with the hot air she was blowing into his ear.

"It's a surprise, but one that won't take long and will make things better for us both. After that we'll do whatever you want, for however long you want." Jaune said squeezing the words out with as much sincerity as he could. A hard thing considering they made him feel like a sleaze.

Prim pulled back too look him in the eyes, her vapid ones seeming to search his for any sign of deceit. If this was a cartoon Jaune would have been sweating visible drops from his brow. As things stood he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as the girl stared at him.

Those hairs lowered as the girl's hand came up, fingers closed except for a curled pinky pointing out towards him. "You promise?" Prim shyly asked, her reaction far different than anything he'd experienced so far. For the briefest of moments Jaune felt he was seeing the true girl.

His finger came up to close around hers, his larger digit easily dwarfing her own. "I promise. Now I need to be standing for this so would you mind?"

The shyness vanished and the unnatural lust took back hold, Prim jumping to her feet and standing at attention. Jaune followed her off the ground, his form crouched a bit as he struggled to ignore both Lily's gaze and the tent that was still formed in his pants. A hand absently brushed down below his waist trying to flatten the curve. "Now I need you to close your eyes for me and don't move. This might feel weird but I promise it will be all right. When it's over you can open them."

Prim didn't question him for a second, didn't ask how she would know when it was over. She simply snapped her eyes shut as if dirt had been thrown in them. Jaune swallowed and reached down to his hand, removing the glove and setting it aside. He felt something rising up in him as he reached forward, his hand beginning to glow though from his mark or his aura he couldn't tell. His hand came to rest on her bare shoulder. A part of his mind remarked on how smooth it felt but it was only a small part. He felt odd, a sense of calm in him he hadn't felt since before this madness began. His eyes began to grow heavy even as his lips began to move, words pouring out from him not completely bidden of his own will.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality…"

The rest of the words were lost as the world went dark.

* * *

His first returning thought was of the sensation of floating. Not flying as he had done over the green of the Emerald Woods or peacefully on the banks of the village's rivers. No, instead he felt himself suspended, aloft on a wind unbound by the laws of gravity or men. His vision drawn to the darkness he was both suspended in and was heading towards. He felt and experienced nothing beyond this, no touch or sound to give him some semblance of normalcy. The world seemed an empty void, devoid of light or heat or sensation of anything.

Except for the cold. He could feel the icy chill of darkness lapping at him like waves at a ship. Each one hungry to weigh him down, to pull him into the inky depths until nothing remained. Resistance was raised, but seemed a futile effort as more and more of the darkness reached for him. He could not experience much, but he could feel the terror of the darkness's hunger.

As the fear began to become overwhelming something else happened. A brush of wind, warm and gentle made its way across his face. It carried the scent of spring with it, flowers and rain and muddy earth. It called to him, **pulled** at him and soon he found himself drawn to its source. The darkness lashed and reached at him, but its hold was broken and its last moments he could feel its rage.

Then it was gone, vanished as if it never existed. Jaune was no longer floating. Instead he stood upon his own two feet in a garden. The earth was barren with dead grass and brambles, life seemingly strangled from the soil by its own weeds. Except for one place. A single flower glowing vibrant in the distance raised upon a small altar, pink hue clashing with the brown surrounding it. It shown from within a glass dome, cracks running down its sides and the glass so thin as to be hardly seen at all. So fragile and seemingly unimportant and yet Jaune felt drawn to it. His feet moving towards it with their own will. One step after the other trudging through the resistance.

And how it resisted him. He sloshed through sucking mud and biting brambles. Each step became a little harder as the wind seemed to howl harder. The gentle breeze that had drawn him here grew harder and stronger. Brambles turned to vines and whipped at him with thorny daggers as the wind pushed at him. The mud no longer simply slowed him but sucked with every step, each staggering movement becoming necessary to wrench himself forward. The garden itself seemed to howl its defiance as he took the last few steps, seeming to reject him from its heart.

Then with nary a warning it was done. The wind died down, the weeds withered away and mud turned back to solid land. Even as nature gave way Jaune heard the tinkling of glass. He turned to find the glass around the flower coming undone. Glass turning to sand and sand to nothing as it lost form and shape. The flower stood where it had even as glass walls faded away.

Then it started to fall, the stalk bending under its own weight. Jaune leapt forward arms outstretched desperate to arrest its fall.

Hands clasped together it fell into his palms even as his he fell with it. Striking the earth Jaune pulled it into him, cradling it as best he could. The petals and stalk were soft in his hands, the smell of roses wafting in the air. Jaune breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled it closer.

His breath was exhaled quickly as the rose began to shine, its light glowing brighter and brighter. There was no time to move, no to shut one's eyes. Warm Pink light invaded everything and Jaune felt a hand grasp his shoulder, pulling him back.

"…aune? Jaune what's…on? Can you hear me Jaune?" Lily's voice came into focus came to him as he came back to himself. Her hand clearly being the one shaking him. His head was groggy and he felt out of sorts. These out of body experiences were beginning to mess with his head

Which is why he thought she could forgive his next simpleminded question. "Yeah I can hear you fine. Can you har me?" Is everything alright?" Jaune asked head turned towards her as his hand dropped to his side, exhaustion hitting in a way far more internal than he thought possible.

"Alright?" Lily's voice asked, her voice bordering on hysteria. "No everything's not alright. You were staring ahead at nothing for minutes and then boom, big burst of light. What did you do? Why wouldn't answer me? And why is she glowing?"

Jaune didn't quite understand what she meant by that, and by the confused expression on his face Lily got that. Which was why she grabbed him by the sides of his head and twisted forcing him to look forward.

 _Oh, I get it now._ Jaune thought as he looked at the Prim who was shining like a street light. Well if street lights glowed pink. The aura of Prims soul was manifesting so bright as to block out all sight of her. For the briefest of moments, it intensified, shining to the point where Lily cried out and covered her eyes and Jaune drew her behind him in case he needed to shield her.

A move that proved unnecessary. For as quickly as the light reached its shining moment, it faded out. One moment she couldn't be seen and the next Prim was standing there alone. her face was confused, eyes pulling into focus for the first time. Her hands rose in front of her, shaking eyes running up and down her limbs as the last few sparkles of her soul crackled and sparked over her arms. "What…what's going on? Where am I?" she asked herself as she took a few unsteady steps, letting out a small yelp as she fell forward.

She would have face planted into the floor if not for Lily's quick movement, her hands clasping the princess around the waist. "Easy your grace. You're a bit confused, which considering everything is understandable. Let me help you up." Lily said gently offering to her an arm.

Prim shakily grasped it, standing up to her feet. Lily promptly helped her over to a chair against the wall sitting her down. Lily kneeled in front of her to get a good look at her. "That's much better now isn't it? Would you like a glass of water?"

"N-No I'm fine. I don't think I could hold it." Prim said a queasy look on her face.

"Ok then. Do you mind if I ask you some questions? To check on your health." At the shy girl's nod Lily began. "Can you tell me your name? and more specifically your title?"

Prim looked confused by the question, but decided to indulge the blonde girl. "My name? it's Prim, Prim Fiorire. I…I'm the princess of Ur."

"That's good…that's very good. Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up your grace?"

Prim squinted at the raised appendage, her arm coming up to rub at her head as she stared at it. "Four, I think. I mean it could be three depending on how you classify the thumb. Some people don't count the thumb which I always found weird but- "

"No need to fret, thumbs count." Lily said cutting off the rambling. She hesitated a moment before going on to the next. "Do you remember anything about where you were? Anything recent?"

Prim closed her eyes and moved her hand to her temple, rubbing it as if in pain. "I…I believe I was in a dungeon. I was locked in a cell."

"Yes, you were. Though not for long, we rescued you from there. Do you remember anything else?"

"Rescued?" Prim breathed out, brow furrowing to turn her face into a frown. Her head shook a bit as the other hand joined its partner finger digging into the temple. Her voice came out shaky and quiet, so quiet Jaune had to move closer to hear her. "That's not right. Alicia had surrendered the castle on the promise we wouldn't be harmed. I was placed in a cell, waited for so long. Then men came and took me from my cell, they lead me to the throne room where so many others were and then they…they…"

Prim stopped talking as one of the floorboards under Jaune's foot creaked, her head snapped to the side her eyes locking onto him. Jaune felt his heart break as her terrified eyes took in his face, realization and memory flooding into place. The sight of madness was gone from them, but now were replaced with something far worse.

Jaune didn't need to ask her any questions. He could tell she remembered everything they did to her. Which was why he was only slightly surprised when she let out an earsplitting scream.

* * *

 **And scene. Got this one out faster than the last, still pitifully slow. I am currently furloughed at least another 8 days due to the pandemic, with a good chance of that being extended so hopefully the next one is faster. Last chapter I hadn't even heard of Coronavirus yet. Shit.**

 **So, Prim makes her official debut, and that was a fucking rollercoaster to write. I've never tried believable crazy before, most psychos in anime are pretty one note so I hope I did alright.**

 **For those who thought getting one's aura unlocked would solve everything mentally or physically I kind of debated doing this myself. It would definitely help streamline the story to take that route. But I decided against it as I thought it would be too much of a Deus Ex Machina. Yeah getting her aura unlocked helped mentally, but it's not a cure all solution to years of trauma and abuse. If anything, I kind of see it like Pulp Fiction where Travolta jams the adrenaline shot into Mia Wallace's heart. It might fix the most pressing issue, but it sure as shit won't help the rest. We'll see more of that play out next chapter.**

 **The show never really describes what unlocking someone's aura feels like other than if the recipient has a lot it can physically tire the other person out, and I tried to write what someone might spiritually feel or see in that moment. I thought it would serve as a decent form of symbolism in Jaune's journey. Did Jaune really experience that or was it just something he hallucinated? Might be a bit of both. Anyways sorry if that section came out a little odd.**

 **I must admit I had more than a few people suggest that Jaune should be intentionally or not getting some action this chapter. It was honestly a bit startling to me how many people private messaged me asking if this was the chapter Jaune would finally get laid. To which I respond with a polite no. I get this is a world of hentai whose moral center is pretty fucked up to begin with, but if I saw Jaune as the kind of character who would take advantage of mentally damaged girl for sex, I wouldn't be writing about him.**

 **Finally, I had one or two people interested to know what age the various girls are in the series. The series obviously doesn't give a specific answer so I'm going to just guess based on appearance, reasoning and their fantasy race. So, listed below I have the main characters ages all written down for this story. Keep in mind this is based two years after the end of the series. Oh for a few of them I haven't made up my mind yet, though I do explain my confusion. Thanks for reading and see you next time.**

 **Celestine: ? An Immortal reincarnating elf goddess. Her physical age probably means nothing at this point. Probably the only one I won't bother coming up with an answer.**

 **Origa: 500 years. There's no explicit timeline of the series, but they do say that the two factions were at war at least a couple centuries with Origa at the lead. Add a bit more for growing up and training and that's my rough guess.**

 **Chloe: 50-60. Chloe is a half elf and thus would grow up faster than a full blooded one, not to mention her backstory states she was born relatively shortly before the story begins. More on that in later chapters.**

 **Alicia:19. Fantasy teens always seem to inherit the throne early; parents don't tend to last long in anime unless they're a punchline. In fact, most of the princesses will fall into this group, for good reason.**

 **Prim: 16. Fits into the role of both the youngest and most innocent princess.**

 **Maia: 18. Only held position for a few years before betrayal. Knew Vault in her early teens before becoming the leader.**

 **Luu-Luu:? Not sure on this one yet, halflings in fantasy are generally described as being youthful looking. With Luu-Luu being significantly more flat chested than most of her species shown in the sequel. For now, let's assume she's of legal age and at least not the youngest.**

 **Kaguya: 18. No real justification for this one. She just looks the part.**

 **Claudia:26-27. Only married princess, to someone who looks middle aged. I know standards are different in medieval culture, but I'm going on the assumption they married for at least a few years and not before she was 18. Also took the fathers age into consideration, which if you know the series, gross.**

 **Vault: Mid to late 20's. Don't know about this for sure, but he doesn't look middle aged or like a teenager. And with Maia I figured the age gap couldn't be to big. Again, back to this later.**


	15. Bittersweet

**Chapter 15 is up, and within a month and a half worth of time! That's a sad milestone to achieve but compared to the time of the last few chapters I'll take what I can get. New cover story drawn by yours truly. Its kind of crap and my cheap scanner didn't make it much better but you take what you can get sometimes. Author notes down below, let's get going. Rated M for Kuroinu. Italics=thoughts, Bold=emphasis.**

 **Bittersweet**

Prim's scream was easily one of the most horrifying things Jaune had heard since arriving in this shitty world. Granted no scream was ever pleasant to hear but the fact that for the first time this one was aimed at him only added to the horror. Also, for a girl her size she had a powerful set of lungs on her. Lily seemed no less shocked, having fallen back from where she'd been kneeling in front of the girl.

After about a minute the screaming tapered off, Prims scream replaced with the sound of heaving breathing. Eyes still frantically focused on Jaune. Lily slowly got up from her place on the floor. Uncertain of what to do she took a step towards her preparing to comfort her.

A squeak of the floorboard put the kibosh on that. Prim's eyes snapped to her, the princess jumping out of her chair in terror only for her back to hit the wall. "No! Stay back!"

"Princess please be quiet." Lily said imploringly, lifting her hands in a calming manner. "We're not here to hurt you. We're here to help but you need to calm down."

"Calm down!?" Prim yelled incredulously from the wall, the terror in her still present. "How can I be calm? I remember, I remember everything. The deaths, the war. Those **men** **and monsters** who took me. Over and over again. And the screams, oh god the screaming. Mixed with their groans, their laughter." The princess arms snapped from the wall to the side of her head, hands covering her ears as she scrunched her eyes shut. She shook as tears began to stream down her face hitting the wood below. Jaune saw her intake a deep breath, another scream building itself up.

It was silenced as a door slammed behind them. "What the fuck is going on in here. I can hear you all the way from the damn woods. Are you trying to wake the village?" Dietrich said entering the room. "I don't care if you got nightmares you keep it do-."

Dietrich stopped talking as he found himself staring at the now awake and fully aware Princess, who was staring at him while doing her best to press into the wood behind her. If she'd been capable of it Jaune was certain she would have fused into the wall by now.

Dietrich whirled away from Prim; eyes angrily focused on Jaune. "Care to explain this?"

"Me explain?" Jaune asked the increasingly familiar frustration bubbling up. "How about you do so first. I thought you were watching over her."

"My job was to watch out for the dogs. Only to check on her every now and then. I only stepped out a moment to answer nature call. And I kept my eyes on the road while I did it, no sign of them. She shouldn't have even woken up yet." Dietrich responded back in his man of the people way, finger pointed at the quivering girl.

"We'll that just makes it okay then." Jaune snarked back, not in the mood for this. "You could have woken one of us up. We could have covered you if you needed a minute."

"Oh, and let prince charming miss his beauty sleep? Please I had the situation in hand."

"All you had to do was watch her. And I get woken up by her trying to dry hump through the floor. Yeah you had everything under control."

"Oh, I'm sorry, are you really lecturing me on my screw ups? I'm just an old man and occasionally I need to take a shit!"

"That's enough!" Lily said pushing herself between the two bickering males. While it physically did nothing to cut off the anger her piercing glare proved more effective. "Whatever happened, happened. And maybe it should be addressed, but not right now. You two are not helping with your bickering. Can you two **please** stow it while we deal with the more important issue?"

While the question had been asked neither were under the illusion of what the right answer was. Jaune turned towards Lily, an apologetic expression on his faces. Dietrich took a glance at Prim, who flinched a bit under his gaze. He let out a sigh before turning back to Lily. "So, what's her state of mind? I mean, is the girl crazy?"

"I don't think so, just confused and scared. Not to mention traumatized. Understandable given the circumstances. I think we should- "

A heavy knocking made everyone jump, the interrupting sound. A heavy male voice called out, but what it was saying was hard to understand. Jaune snapped into action his hand snatching up his sword from the ground. "Is it them, are they here?"

Dietrich swore and took a peek out the window, eye scanning the front of his yard. "Don't think so, I don't see any horses or men out there. Probably just the neighbors being nosy. I'll check the door, see who it is. Jaune keep your blade close just in case." Dietrich pulled back from the window, turning to face the teens. His eyes landed on Prim. "Lily take her back upstairs. Last thing we need is one of those fuckwits seeing her."

"No." Prim shook her head from where she was. She began edging away from them, eyes flickering to and fro. "No no not again. I won't let them take me again."

"They won't take you if they don't know you're here." Dietrich growled out frustrated. He walked towards the girl his arms rising up "But if you don't be quiet and get your royal ass upstairs, they'll-."

Prim's eyes widened as she saw the hands coming towards. She stepped into his reach; fast for a girl wearing heels. "No, don't touch me!" With all her might the tiny girl shoved the older, significantly larger man.

It happened in a second. One moment Dietrich was walking forward, the next he was off his feet flying backwards into the wall. He hit the wall opposite to her and slammed to the floor with an oomph. He found himself coughing and heaving on the floor.

Outside the pounding of the door continued.

"Dietrich!" Lily yelled out rushing forward to help him. the blonde girl dropped to her knee's her hands moving to turn the man over. Jaune started to move forward to help.

"You." A small voice stopped him, turning his attention back to the princess. She stared at her hands, dainty gloved hands that had sent a man nearly twice her size flying. A few pink crackles moved over her hands. She looked up at him and there was something in those eyes that made him squirm. "What did you do to me?"

Jaune didn't answer, couldn't in that moment really and Prim wasn't waiting to give him the chance. Tears running down her face she sprinted up the stairs behind her. She rounded the top and a moment later Jaune could hear the door slam shut.

"W-Well that's one way to "cough" get her up there." Jaune turned back to Dietrich who with Lily's help had gotten back to his knees. "Help me up boy, we got to get to the door."

Jaune came over, putting an arm under his armpit and hoisting her up. "Fucking hell." Dietrich said as he swayed on his feet, legs limping forward towards the kitchen. "She knocked off my feet, how the fuck…"

"Best not to question it now. Are you sure we can't just ignore them?" Jaune said doing his best to gingerly guide the man. His other arm gripped his sword, the blade

With a grunt of pain Dietrich shook his arm off him. "Yeah I wish. These village morons love to gossip and if we ignore them, they'll only get more curious. Might as well cut it off now." Dietrich reached the door where the pounding was originating. He took a moment to steady himself, schooling his face into his usual pissed off look. He waved the two to back out of view, the two doing just that.

With the twist of the various locks he yanked the door open. A fat man in wool jerkins and greasy shirt was on the other side, hand half raised in mid-knock. Brown hair lay flatly on the top of his head, jowls giggling under a hefty chin. A few other villagers were gathered behind him in various sleepwear. "Umm, h-hey Dietrich. Uh good evening."

"Gavin." Dietrich didn't say so much as growl causing the fat man to flinch. "You have any idea how late it is? What's with you smashing your fat fist on my door?"

"Well, we were concerned. S-Some of us heard screaming and thought something might be wrong."

"Oh, is that all?" Dietrich said allowing himself to relax a bit. "Didn't realize it had been that loud. My nephew's new girl was having a bit of a nightmare. He's trying to comfort her now."

"Lot of noise to make for a nightmare." Gavin said, to the tittering agreement of those behind him. He leaned a bit to the left trying to discretely get a better look inside.

Dietrich was having none of it. he stepped into the archway glaring at the man. "Considering that nightmare was the time she was being raped by orcs at the Black Fortress, perhaps you might understandable while she was being a bit **loud**." Dietrich said the last part in a snarl, face twisted in fury.

Gavin stood mouth agape, standing still like a deer in headlights. He took a few steps behind retreating from the old man's vitriol. "I…I suppose that makes sense."

"Well as long as it makes sense then. I'll be sure to let my wards know of your concern." Dietrich said his voice a bit mocking. "Now not to be a rude host but if you don't mind, go back to your homes and get off my property." Dietrich stepped back slamming the door shut. He twisted the locks back in place metal clinking as it slotted back in.

Not a moment later he nearly slumped over, only Jaunes quick reaction keeping him from hitting the floor. "Gods I thought I was going to pass out." The old man gritted, a hand wiping the sweat from his brow. "Help me over to the damn table."

The two teens escorted the man back to the kitchen, Jaune holding him up while Lily went to pull a chair out for him. no sooner had she done so than the man slumped into it, legs sprawled out underneath him. "Fuck my side hurts. Girl in the top cabinet there's a jar full of green paste, grab it would you? Should be near the front."

Lily nodded and went to the pointed at part of the kitchen beginning to rummage through the contents. Dietrich pulled at his shirt, but winced and slowed as it got halfway. Jaune stepped behind him and grabbed at the cloth, helping him pull it off.

He hissed and Lily gasped, having turned around with the item as they saw the large mark on his back. Purple discoloration spread across his upper shoulder and over his back nearly to the end of his hip. A much lighter bruising was beginning to spread on his side, minor in comparison to the other. Jaune could barely stomach to look at it. "Gods Dietrich, I know she pushed you hard but I didn't think-."

"It wasn't the girl. At least not most of it. This fucking thing and I are old mates by now." Dietrich interrupted motioning to Lily who handed the jar to Jaune. "The boy can help with this. Lily go check on her highness."

"Are you sure? I mean I can help here if you need it. I was trained in the healing arts." Lily said concern in her voice.

Dietrich simply waved her off, leaning forward to place his elbows on the table. His back seemed to contort a bit at the movement. "You're the only one who can check in on her right now. She's not going to want to see me or him. I just need this spread over me any way. Go on now."

Lily hesitated for a moment but inevitably left. As the sound of her steps faded away Jaune reached his hand into the jar. His fingers came up covered, an almost pungent smell with them. It smelled of earth and something foul. "How should I apply it."

"Lightly, just enough to cover the afflicted areas. As you rub it in my skin should absorb it. you'll know your done when the green fades away."

Jaune was unsure where to start, so he started at the top. His hand came to touch the skin near the shoulder. Dietrich hissed at the touch but otherwise made no complaint, prompting Jaune to continue. The paste spread with each motion of Jaunes hand, the gelatinous material sinking into the skin. It almost seemed to head straight for the afflicted area, jaune having to reach in multiple times to pull more out.

He had reached in for his fourth pull when Dietrich spoke. "It's terminal you know."

Jaune froze, his hand half in the jar. "I'm sorry? What did you say?" He said confused by the unasked-for dialogue.

"The condition, the skin your touching on my back. Old healer who studied me once said it was from all the smoking I did over the years. Apparently spread from my lungs and even into the skin. Has no name for it as far as he knew."

"Cancer." Dietrich turned around to look at Jaune. he was met with a gaze full of sympathy. "In my kingdom we call it cancer."

"Is that so?" Dietrich said getting a nod from the boy. He let out an amused huff and turned back to let the boy continue. "How do you know about it?"

"My grandfather had it. He used to smoke like a bonfire" Jaune said as he placed a hand back on the man spreading the paste. "Does this stuff really help?"

"A bit. Local healer used to make it for me. Well at least he did before he was shipped off to serve in one of Vault's armies. Helps to numb the pain, reduce the bruising and slow the diseases spread. Supposedly even has a bit of magic in it. More of a temporary fix than actual treatment. They got a cure where you're from?"

Jaune was silent for a moment as he finished the man's lower back. he reached in for another dollop to finish off the man's side. "They do. But it doesn't always work. And sometimes the cure, it'll kill you faster than the illness."

"Eh, figures. Not like I'd be making it over there to be treated anytime soon. That jars the last of what I got on hand. Don't be afraid to spread it out."

Jaune looked to the jar in his hand, already half empty despite his best efforts to be conservative. He moved his hand down the man's side the smell rising to his nose. "How long?"

"About fifteen years now. Frankly shouldn't have made it more than five according to the healer but I can be a stubborn bastard as you know." Dietrich said with a bit of pride.

"Not what I meant." Jaune said finishing up. he took the jar top and screwed it back on. He placed the jar down on the table and picked the man's shirt up, holding it towards him.

Dietrich snorted, wearily taking the offered cloth. "I know what you meant. No more than a year with medication. Without it…well don't worry about it. I'll be around long enough to see this through. One way or the other."

Jaune didn't know what to say in that moment. It was hard to hear someone be so blasé about their own life and he didn't know how to respond to that. So, he didn't. He just quietly at the table as Dietrich put his shirt back on. The two waited quietly for Lily to return, sleep the last thing on their minds.

It wasn't long before this came to pass, the former nun walking back into the room. She sat down opposite the two. "Everything squared away up there?" Dietrich asked as he leaned back, holding back a wince as he mirrored her image.

Lily sighed and shrugged her shoulders "About as well as can be expected. She's locked herself in your room. I tried to talk to her through the door but she wasn't in the mood. She just kept sobbing and told me to leave her alone." Lily hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I'm not sure if we should leave her alone right now."

"Actually, it might be the best thing for her. I doubt that girl has had a night to herself in over two years. And you know better than any what her life has been like. We can open the door if needed, a good swift kick from the boy would probably break the bolt but considering the current situation I'd hold off on that." Dietrich said his tone slightly pained. "Probably safest if she stays there for the time being. Nothing she could use in there to hurt herself. And the window points away from the village towards the forest. It's not ideal, but giving her space is the best we can do right now."

"Now then, lets address the elephant in the room." Dietrich said turning to glare at Jaune. "I can assume from the way that little lady tossed me like a ragdoll, that you had something to do with no?"

"Yeah." Jaune confirmed looking back. when it became clear a one answer question wasn't going to satisfy the two, he decided to continue. "She jumped me in the middle of the night, was alternating between seductress and madwoman. I couldn't leave her like that, tried talking her down. We both did. But when that didn't work, I tried something else."

"That something being?" Dietrich asked one eyebrow raised at him.

"One of those things I can't tell you about. A technique I was told could help people like her. Like it helped me when I was in need. I can tell you it worked, freed her mind from the psychosis she was in. made her remember what they did to her. But it has side effects."

"Oh, side effects. Like a girl who couldn't weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet could toss me into a wall." Dietrich snapped off the last bit hand curled into a fist.

"Yeah, like that." Jaune admitted shifting in his chair. "She similar to me now, stronger than she was before. It was the only way."

"Tell that to my aching torso. Alright, let's ignore that for now." Dietrich said rubbing his temple in frustration. "In your opinion do you think the girl could be the girl dangerous to us? Or to herself?"

"Maybe? If she feels pressured or pushed into a corner." Jaune said genuinely uncertain. "I'm not sure what if any combat training she has, but she doesn't have any weapons and I'm a lot bigger than her. If push comes to shove, I think I could stop her before things got out of hand. As to herself, I don't know. What I did should make it harder for her to cause herself harm, but if she's determined enough…"

"Well before I put her to bed, I made sure to remove anything she might use on herself in a moment of panic or confusion when she was still doped. Glassware, bedsheets the like. I doubt she would try anything right now." Dietrich said letting out a shaky breath before continuing. "But we'll all be careful nonetheless. Try to maintain a distance between us if possible while still checking in on her."

"Whoa wait a minute." Lily spoke out a hand raised in protest. "You…you're not actually acting like she's a danger, right? Guys she's was the most peaceful of the princess knights. I can't even remember her holding a blade. She was simply reacting to an understandably confusing and scary situation. She's not a threat."

"To him, no she's probably not. But she could be to you and I, especially in a moment of panic. I'm not saying she would do it intentionally but you saw what she could do with a shove." Dietrich said cutting the girl off, before pointing towards Jaune. "You've seen him break a man's arm without meaning to do it. Watched him slice through men like butter. If she has another episode, she could cause some serious damage."

"So, what then? Do we keep her prisoner? Like the black dogs would?" Lily asked an indignant look on her face.

"Of course not." Dietrich replied leaning back. "This is an opportunity to gather intel. For now, we'll leave her be, but when I feel she's ready I plan to talk to her."

"You really think she'll be able to?" Jaune asked skepticism in his voice. "You didn't seem eager about it when we brought her."

"That's because I didn't think she would be able to speak at all. That she might remain in a stupor or be batshit nuts. Now that you say she can talk, it's imperative she tells us everything. If it's important enough I'd risk trying to get the message across the border." Dietrich slid his chair in closer, wood legs scraping over the floor. "I'm not saying this to be callous, but she was in Vault's possession for years. A complete and utter prisoner, someone he thought would never be able to rat him out. Who knows what things he might have said within earshot of her?"

"If she can even bring herself to talk about it Dietrich. She's a victim, traumatized and abused and now surrounded by people she doesn't trust or know. You said so yourself." Lily cut in; her voice raised in protest. "She's in no condition to speak with anyone, she needs time to rest and to heal. To give us the opportunity to show she can trust us. It could be days, weeks before she's ready."

"We don't have weeks. Hell, we may not even have days. I wish I could give her the time she need's, Lily I really do. But time is not on our side. Just because those bastards didn't show up today doesn't mean they won't be here tomorrow. And who knows if we survive that."

"We can't force her to talk Dietrich. If she decides to clam up, there's not much we can do about that." Jaune responded.

Dietrich let out a snort and leaned back, wincing as he folded his hands over his stomach. "We don't have to force her, almost anyone can be convinced to cooperate. Especially when it is in one's own interest to do so. One just has to learn about a person's MICE."

"Mice?" Lily asked, staring at the man like he'd grown two heads. "What do rodents have to do with interrogations?"

"Not the animal, MICE is acronym used to describe one's potential reason for spying. Those being Money, Ideology, Compromise or Coercion, and finally Ego or Extortion. A good agent will find a person's pressure point in order to get them to cooperate. Be it as an active agent or simply a source of information. We find out what can persuade her, she'll sing like a canary."

"What could you offer her? I mean besides protection from Vault's men which we're already giving her. And it's not like we either have or would be interested in money." Jaune pointed out.

Dietrich nodded his head in acknowledgment, the tips of his fingers tapping. "Not going to try extortion or coercion either. She won't talk if she thinks we're no better than the dogs. I think our best course of action would be to offer her political asylum in Dallia. The emperor's capital is far from here in the central province, surrounded by three active legions at any time and far out of Vault's reach. If she cooperates, there would be no place safer for her. If the knowledge she has is important enough…it might be worth the risk of trying to flee over the border."

"And if she doesn't? Or has no useful knowledge to share." Jaune asked pointing out the obvious.

Dietrich shrugged, letting a slight breath out through his nose. "Then she's no worse off than she already is. We'll protect her and ourselves as best we can. And it'll better to wait and see how the dogs act. Who knows? Maybe they'll let their guard down and we can exploit that."

"We still have to get her to trust us. Which is hard to do through a locked door." Lily stated the obvious. "How do we do that if she won't talk to us? Or when we can't even open the door peacefully."

Dietrich was silent for a moment. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. forehead scrunched in contemplation Jaune watched the myriad ticks of the man's facial features as he thought to himself.

A minute went by before Dietrich's eyes opened back up, a small smile on his face. He stood up from his chair and limped his way over to the cupboards. He began reaching in and pulling out various bowls and spices. "We start by getting her to open the door herself. Even if it's not for us."

* * *

She sat against the corner her arms wrapped around her legs as her head rested between her knees. Pink locks fell around her head and caressed the dress beneath her. They swayed and jolted with the occasional shake of her shoulders. Her shoes were tossed to the side, dainty white socks quickly beginning to match the color of the floor beneath her. A younger version of herself would have been aghast to find herself in the position she was in. Sitting on a dirty floor in the bedroom a stranger, an old man and a commoner no less. One whose house was probably worth less than the dress being dirtied on the floor. The scandal and gossip such a thing would have generated throughout Feoh and the court would have made her duck her head in shame.

She had no shame left now, no scandal that could dirty her more than what had already been done. She found comfort in the wood panels, the coolness of its touch and the quietness of its walls. A comfort along with her solitude and the darkness of night she had never known before now. She knew little of where she was or of those who knew her, but for all intents and purposes she was alone for the first time in years. With no one else to force themselves on her, to pry her legs open and to subject her to things she only wanted to forget. But her desires went unanswered. She could remember, by gods she could remember everything.

It was an odd thing to be forced to remember. Memories had flashed through her head, coming at her to fast and to viscerally to handle at once. It was like being chased through a nightmare, running from the monsters behind her even as every shadow seemed to carry within it some horror. But it wasn't a dream, everything that happened was real. The war, the death and betrayal of those who'd sworn loyalty to her. Her consistent and merciless… **violation**. It had all been to real and it had all come back at once. It all mixed in with the confusion and the fear and had threatened to overwhelm her. A river of confusion and emotion and pain that threatened to overwhelm her completely.

And then she smashed the old man down, looked on with a mute horror as the blonde girl went rushing to his aid. Had seen the surprise in the teen's eyes, the concern that seemed so genuine.

And that had been the straw, the bit of water that broke the dam. She'd fled away from the scene locked herself away. and only when she was certain that she was alone did she crash. Her tears flowed freely in a way they hadn't been allowed to in so long, the water smudging her face even as she let herself grieve. She cried for herself, the pain and horror she had endured. That those of her subjects and family had endured at merciless hands. For relief in silence, for this moment of respite from the cruelty fate had handed her. She didn't know what she cried for more, all she did was cry until the tears stopped flowing and she felt so wholly empty. as if she'd used all the tears she'd ever had, leaving her with a sense of exhaustion.

It was only as the smallest light of dawn began to peek through the curtain slits of the room that Prim heard the sound of footsteps climbing the staircase. Her eyes snapped to the doorway, body shooting upright from her position on the floor. Her heart began pumping as her mind was racing, uncertain of what was to come.

The beating of her heart seemed to match the small knock on the door, as a soft voice called out. "Your grace, are you there?"

The fear in Prim subsided a bit as she recognized the voice of the girl from earlier. Petunia, perhaps? Small hands formed into fists at her side as she steeled thee will to speak. Once it did it came out through gritted teeth. "I…I told you I wanted to be left alone."

There was no response at first, the girl standing silently outside the door. Whoever she was cleared her throat before continuing. "I know you did, but we figured you might be hungry so I brought you some food."

Prim was about to respond when her body decided to do that for her, stomach growling. She leaned forward a bit as her abdomen seemed to pinch itself together. Weeks of subsiding on nothing but drugs and broth would do that to a girl. And now she could smell it, the smell of meat and spices.

She wouldn't be that easily fooled though. She'd suffered worse than an empty stomach. "Where are the men? The ones that were with you."

"They're outside the house, we thought you might be nervous around them so it's just me. If you take a peek between the shades you should see them by the trees." The girl responded.

Prim's eyes were drawn towards the aforementioned curtains, white sheets glowing from the rise of the morning sun. She inched her way over to the window while keeping one eye on the door. As her hand brushed the sheet, she turned her head from the door and pulled it back by the slightest, peaking outside.

As the girl said the two males were standing right where she said they'd be. The older man stood a bit hunched over leaning on a stick. His scowling face made her flinch as the image of him slamming into a wall came back to her. She quickly looked away to stare at the other one. The teen was a bit of a different story, his taller more gangly form leaning up against a twisted oak in the back. He was wearing the same clothes she had seen when she'd…woken him up. Over it though was a breastplate and a pair of pauldrons on his shoulders, with a sword attached to his hip. Golden hair messily framed a sharp face, one she guessed was only slightly older than herself.

The boys head tilted up a bit and paused, his blue eyes connecting with hers through the window. A moment of guilt seemed to flash across his face, though it disappeared so fast she might have just been seeing things. He scratched the back of his as he smiled slightly, giving a small wave at chest level. The action wasn't suave or arrogant, it lacked any form of protocol she was used to in her previous life. It was just a nervous response and for some reason it felt…comforting.

The grouch next to him was having none of it, immediately slapping the teens hand down and seeming to bark something at him. Prim felt her lip twitch up.

"Princess, did you see them? If so, I'd appreciate if you'd say something. Or at least let me give you some breakfast. My arms are starting to get tired."

Prim's face resumed its normal expression smile dropped as she turned back towards the door. Socked feet made her approach quiet as she stood before it. her hand came to rest on the lock, but hesitated in turning it. they'd done a lot to try and put her at ease, but doubt nibbled at her core. It wouldn't be the first time she'd been tricked.

A seemingly cavernous roar from beneath her made her stomachs displeasure known. The need to feed overpowered her caution and with a quick snap of the lock and pull of the handle the door opened. The blonde girl half jumped, taking half a step back while balancing a tray of food in her arms. The smell which had only been minor before hit her in full, cooked beef and spiced apples and fresh bread. A fork sat nestled in a clean cloth, but there was no knife or spoon. A small bottle of milk sat nestled in the crutch of the girl's arm. The sight and smell made her mouth water.

Like a skittish animal Prim ducked her head into the hallway, checking both ways for anyone else. Seeing no one she took a step into the hallway. The taller girl in front of her, blonde with purple eyes looked at her with nervous eyes. She opened her mouth to speak.

Prim more or less snatched the tray from her, small hand deftly plucking the bottle at the same time. Stepping back Prim turned and placed the tray down on the bed, placing it in the center of the mattress. She turned and took hold of the door handle pulling it back a bit only to catch sight of the girl. The blonde stood in the hallway uncertainty on her face, seemingly struggling to say something. Prim took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the door. For a moment she felt like the metal handle twisted a bit under her hand.

"Thank you." The words slipped out far harder than they might have in the past. With a quick motion the door was slammed shut, lock twisted back in place. A great knot seemed to unwind itself as Prim turned back to the tray behind her. Stepping forward she gently climbed on top of the mattress, being careful not shift her weight lest she spill her meal. A wavering hand took the fork in hand, using the edge to slice a piece of apple form her plate. She brought the morsel up to her face, the smell of cinnamon nearly making her swoon. She took a bite.

An explosion of taste erupted in her mouth, sweet and tart mixing in a way that was exquisite. Such a simple thing shouldn't have elicited such a thing and yet she found herself wanting more. Needing more. What meals she'd had in captivity had been poor at the best of times, whatever scraps Vau- whatever he and his minions had felt like sharing. And that was when they felt merciful.

Prim tore into the food before her, eating with the hunger of one deprived as she had been. Sweet apple mixed with greasy meat and cold milk. Warm bread slightly butter mixed in with salty taste of-.

Salty? Prim stopped mid chew, her mouth reluctantly pulling back the bread from her mouth. She hadn't noticed the salty taste anywhere else in her meal so why would she taste it in her bread.

The answer became apparent as a droplet fell to her hand, the liquid sliding down the contours to mix with her food. Her free hand reached up to her face to find more moisture awaiting her.

It seemed she hadn't run out of tears after all.

* * *

 **And scene. A scene that took to fucking long to write. We need an action scene soon, if I want to get this story up to schedule. Can't promise it'll be next chapter, but soon. If not for you then my own personal need.**

 **It was important to do this one though, my first chapter with a perspective besides Jaune. I tried to do up Prim as I thought she might be at this stage of the story. Shy, scared and extremely damaged. And one who doesn't know her know her newfound strength. I don't know if it came out well, but then that's up to you the faithful reader to decide. If any of you have some pointers or suggestions on how to do this, I'm all ears.**

 **Some people thought that the age guesses I put out in the last chapter didn't make sense. Some with valid points, but I did choose most of them for a reason. Some will tie into the characters later back stories, but I don't plan for most of the characters to simply come out and announce it. Unless its either necessary or funny.**

 **Well thank you all for your patience, I hope your all staying healthy in these uncertain times. Thanks, and see you next time.**


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